Harry Potter and the Marriage Bet
by Josephine Stone
Summary: Draco believes that marriages based on love don't work and that the marriage creates love. Harry believes that love is the only way a marriage can work. So Draco bets Harry he could fall in love with him whilst Ginny is away. AU Post-Hogwarts, EWE
1. The Bet

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: helikesapeanut and tavia_d

* * *

'Have you heard the news, darling?' Pansy asked as she entered Draco's living room and sat on the sofa next to the chair he occupied.

'That depends. What news?' Draco acted uninterested as always, but she knew better.

'Potter's going to propose to the Weasel girl.' She made a disgusted face at the thought of it and looked like even mentioning Ginny left a bad taste in her mouth.

'I thought she's just signed a two-year contract with the Holyhead Harpies ', Draco mused, wondering how Harry could be that thick.

'She did. That's why he's asking her now. Make sure she remembers who she belongs to while she's up in the air.' Draco turned the page of his book not bothering to look up at his friend. She was eyeing him carefully waiting for some sort of noticeable reaction to what he might be feeling.

'It's a shame, really. Potter could do so much better. I was thinking of trying to persuade him while she is away', she teased with a smirk that Draco could see out of his peripheral vision.

'Were you?' He finally looked up at her with a slight glare, nothing that would detour her from the conversation.

'I still might. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. And, even if it does…' Pansy shrugged as she trailed off.

'He'd never go for you.' Marking the page, Draco set the book aside and gave her his full attention.

'Oh, really? Do you think you're more his type?' She gave him a smile that said 'I know you do', though the blond would never admit it, and she would never say as much aloud.

'He seems happy with her.' He nonchalantly shrugged as though it didn't bother him, but she knew better.

'Oh, please. She's no good for him, and you know it. She only wants him because he's Harry Potter', Pansy insisted, and he gave her a scrutinizing look.

'And you want him because?'

'Well - the same…' she agreed. 'But I would never lie about it. Nor would I swear him love that I don't hold .'

'Maybe she does love him.' Draco had no idea why he was defending Ginny. He never liked her, but he really didn't like the idea of Pansy anywhere near Harry either. Besides, there was nothing either of them could do about it anyway.

'You don't believe that', she accused, knowing well that Draco's values on love were much higher than lust or teenage crushes. To love someone you have to love the good and the bad. You have to feel the pain as well as the pleasure. Ginny, in the absence of Harry her sixth year, should have been a mess. Or at least as upset as she had been the prior year when she and Dean were always fighting.

'No, I don't, but it's none of my business', he explained, trying to get her to drop the subject.

'Since when has that ever stopped you?'

Indeed, he thought, since when had that ever stopped him when it came to Harry? Draco tried to convince himself that he didn't care about Harry. He didn't care that he beat him at everything or that everyone adored him. He didn't care that he rejected his friendship in the first year, or that he still wasn't interested in letting the past go and being friends. He was glad that Harry won the war, though, and was thankful that the black-haired boy had saved his life during the final battle at Hogwarts. They never had a conversation about it, or about Harry's brief but influential visit to his post-war trial, but things had gone back to normal then, except, he no longer followed Harry around everywhere he went, trying to make him miserable. Draco was an adult and therefore, above such things. He told himself he didn't care.

So, a week later, when he happened to see Harry through a shop window looking over engagement rings, he knew that he shouldn't care and should have just walked by. He did, however, agree with Pansy that the Weasley girl was not what Harry needed. He needed to marry for love, and as much as Draco didn't care, he knew that she didn't love him; only the idea of him. She was in love with the Harry Potter she had heard about since she was small.

'So, the rumours are true', the blond concluded as he entered the shop.

'What do you want, Malfoy?' Harry didn't look up, but he would recognise that voice anywhere. He stiffened slightly and concentrated on the three rings he had in front of him.

'I've heard that you've made the unfortunate decision to marry the youngest Weasley.' Draco drew nearer to the case as Harry looked over the choice he was considering at that moment. One was a simple, solitary diamond with a plain white gold band. Another was in yellow gold with about fifteen diamonds, and Draco winced at how loud it was. The third was also gold, but not as bad as the second one.

'What's so unfortunate about it?' Harry finally looked up at Draco.

'Come on, Potter, even I can admit that you could do better.' Draco smiled at him, and it gave Harry an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Bad things tended to happen when Draco Malfoy smiled at him.

'I don't have the same outlook on life as you do.' Harry pointed out as though they hadn't known it for years. 'She's the one who could do better than me.' He smiled triumphantly thinking about how lucky he was to have her.

'I can see how you would think that', Draco said. He remembered how Blaise used to fancy the girl, even if he would not outright admit it.

'Now I'm just confused.' Was that supposed to be a complement to Ginny, or was he saying that Harry had bad taste?

'That should be a familiar feeling for you.' Harry glared at him, and Draco smirked back. 'Is it not?' He waited a bit for Harry to respond and continued when the black-hair boy didn't, 'It's all in how you look at it. You're looking at it as if you aren't the famous Harry Potter but just Harry', Draco explained. 'Despite her family, she's extremely talented and very beautiful. She could have anyone she wanted.'

'Well, then I'm glad she has chosen me.' He looked down at the rings again and tried to ignore Draco, silently hoping that the blond would just disappear.

'You see, that's my point. She didn't choose you, but Harry Potter. Someone she'd been in love with before she'd even met you. If you were not him, she would want nothing to do with you.' He waved his hand dismissively in the air.

'That's not true. We love each other.' Harry's head shot up in anger, and his glare was back. The Harry that Draco was so used to see and had so much fun bringing out.

'Well then, that's even worse. I thought she was going to be away for a few years', Draco said dramatically as if he was surprised, which of course he wasn't.

'Only two', Harry replied, as if two years were really only two weeks, and once again, Draco had his full attention.

'And what if she finds someone else while she's away?' Draco curiously watched Harry's facial expression.

'She won't', he snapped as his anger started to flare.

'What if you do?' Draco raised his eyebrow quizzically.

'I won't', Harry insisted.

'Because you're in love with her?' Draco asked, rolling his eyes. People cheat on people that they 'love' everyday. Even when they are married and supposedly very happy together.

'Yes.'

'And is it incomprehensible to love two people at the same time?'

Harry could tell that Draco was setting him a trap, but he continued anyway. 'If you're really in love with someone, then yes.'

'I love both my mother and my father, and I know that I'll love my partner someday when I'll get married. How is that possible?'

Harry growled in frustration. 'That's not the same. You know what I mean.' Harry looked away from Draco, but his eyes also avoided the rings. How was it that he always lost those debates with the blond? He knew he was right, but he could not explain it as well.

'No, I'm afraid not. What do you mean?' And of course, Draco was going to make him explain it.

'There are different kinds of love. You love your parents in a different way than you love your spouse.'

'Yes.'

'So, yes, you can love more than one person, but you will only love one person the way you love your spouse.' Harry was actually very satisfied with his answer. He felt that he made his point, but he forgot that he was dealing with Draco.

'You're such a fool. Real love grows. You don't really love her; what you're feeling now is lust that will fade once you have to deal with the real her. Which she probably won't show you until after you're married.' How could he honestly have that conversation with Draco Malfoy? He was the most heartless person that Harry had ever met in his life.

'What would you know about love? You've never experienced it. From what I can remember, you have never even been in a relationship - a real one anyway.'

Draco inhaled and exhaled slowly whilst Harry glared at the rings in front of him. All looked ugly to him then. The shopkeeper who stood idly by in the back of the shop was looking at them curiously, so Draco kept his voice down when he continued, 'Look, I'm not trying to fight with you.' Harry looked at him disbelievingly. 'I'm trying to help you.'

'Oh, really?' Harry scoffed, and Draco wondered if he had learnt that from him.

'Yes', he pressed. 'I've never really thanked you for saving my life.' Harry narrowed his eye suspiciously at him. Draco didn't show gratitude to people for anything. He just expected them to do it willingly without complaint. 'And I thought you could use some advice before you ruined yours.'

'My life's fine, but thank you for your concern.' Then added, 'And you're welcome.'

'Look, whether you want to be or not, you are and always will be Harry Potter.' Harry nodded; he knew that he could never run from it. 'Because of this, people will always try to take advantage of you, even if they themselves do not realise it at the time', Draco continued. Harry was beginning to learn that too, but still he just shook his head negatively. Draco could see the down side to everyone.

'Ginny's not like that.' He almost slammed his fist down on the glass case, but he stopped himself just before it made contact.

'My point is that you would benefit more from a political marriage than from one based on romance. You need someone that can keep your private life private and help you capitalize on your fame instead of run from it.'

'So you're suggesting I should marry someone like you, then, and not the woman I love?' Harry asked exasperatedly just wanting the attack on his personal life to be over. He couldn't explain that he was right. He just knew it. He could show to everyone that he loved Ginny, and he could prove Draco wrong. Just not with words, he had never been very good with words.

'Whoever you choose, you'll learn to love each other. It takes work, compromise and commitment. Why not with me?' Harry was taken aback. Draco was actually suggesting that they were a better match? They couldn't stand each other. He would end up killing Draco, but the blond just continued as if it was a great idea, 'There was a custom after wars between two countries that the royal representatives of each should marry as a token of peace.' They were very different from two strangers who were forced into a situation like that together. They had a long and hateful history behind them.

'You honestly believe that we could fall in love with each other?' he finally managed to ask, after replaying a few times in his head what Draco had said.

'Yes.' Draco answered quickly without thinking. 'At the very least, I believe it'd be a better match than you marrying her.'

Harry glared at and fiddled with the rings in front of him before answering. 'You're wrong.' It was all he could say. Nothing else came to mind in that particular moment.

'Prove it.' Draco gave him a challenging glare, which encouraged Harry to do the same. Nothing was changed about the blond, just his bone structure showed that an time had gone by. When he made that face, he looked like sixteen again in an instant. They were nineteen then and though Draco had graduated on time, Harry had returned for another year and graduated with Ginny. So, Harry hadn't seen Draco since the final battle almost two years prior.

'How?' Other than marrying Ginny and staying together forever, something that neither of them really had any control over, the only other option was to… 'You want me to marry you, just so that it can all fall apart?'

'What else are you going to do while she's away for two years?'

'I'll be working. ' Harry tilted his head, curiously watching Draco's slightly smirking face. The blond was winning, and they both knew it. 'Just as she's going to.'

'Do you plan on seeing each other a lot? Or are you just getting engaged so everyone would know that you're both off limits?' Draco laughed as he said that, and Harry's curiosity was replaced once again with anger.

'What? No!' They were impossible together; every five minutes Harry lost his temper with the other man. He hadn't lost his temper in years before that. 'Actually, what I was going to do was buy the ring now, but I was going to give it to her when she would come back, so that she would know that I'll be here waiting for her.' He paused and looked around for the shopkeeper who was still at the back of the shop and then finished mumbling, 'Technically, we are not even going to be together whilst she's away.'

Saying all of that aloud made it sound a bit more pathetic than it had in his head. He was second guessing even letting Ginny know he had been thinking of it then. He certainly was not going to go through with it. How was it that Draco still had that effect on him? He had defeated the most powerful dark wizard since Grindenwald, and a fifteen-minute conversation with Draco made him feel like a small child that had never heard of a broomstick before.

'And you expect her to be faithful?' Draco tried not to laugh at that, but it slipped out as he asked it.

'No, of course not, but if you love something, when you let it go, it returns to you. That's how you know it's meant to be.'

'Where did you hear that rubbish?' Harry was silently asking himself the same question along with 'why did I just say that?' Draco didn't need anything else to make fun of him about, and he kept spouting out arguments like a lovesick thirteen-year-old girl. He closed his eyes and wished he was anywhere except next to Draco defending his romanticism.

'It's just a saying; one that I happen to believe in.'

'So you're saying that we have two years?' Harry opened his eyes only to blink again, and then took one step back away from Malfoy as he contemplated what he meant. Was Malfoy actually suggesting that they should try it? Not just in theory, but actually do it?

'…W-what?'

'We have two years to prove each other wrong', Draco said slowly to make sure that Harry understood him.

'Uhm…are you suggesting that we should get married?' Harry hoped that saying it would make him change his mind and let it go. But Draco just smiled and stepped towards Harry.

'Scared, Potter?'

'You wish.' Harry answered automatically; He would never admit that he was, in fact, scared. Besides, the situation wasn't scary, just plain crazy. They would kill each other. The silence stretched while Harry actually considered it. He would be able to prove Draco wrong, by showing him that it would never work between them.

He, like always, found he could not resist a challenge when Malfoy presented one. What harm could it really do? All he was doing for the next two years was Auror training. Ginny had suggested that they should take a break, whilst she went away, just as they had done, whilst he was away in their seventh year of school. They decided they would wait for each other once again.

Harry was convinced that it would prove that they belonged together: there was no way he was going to fall in love with Malfoy, even if he lived with him for two years. He could grow to care about him, maybe, but he would never feel about Malfoy the way he felt about Ginny.

After all, he had lived with Ron and had spent most of his waking hours with Hermione, since they were eleven, and he wasn't in love with them. He loved them, yes, but as family. He was also straight, so the idea was ridiculous in itself. He must have been thinking for too long about it, because just as he decided it might not be such a bad idea, Draco faltered.

'You can just say 'no.' It's okay, I didn't actually expect you to be up for it.' Draco was backing out? No, they were definitely going to do that, and Harry was going to prove him wrong.

'Why not? Let's do it, let's get married for two years.' He took a few steps down towards the men's rings as Draco slowly followed him. 'Then when we're still not in love with each other, we can get a divorce.'

'And if we are in love with each other?'

'Well, then we'll already be married, won't we?'

Draco had to suppress a smile at that; he would be married to Harry, and if he won, he would stay that way. If he lost then he would lose Harry, but that was how relationships work. So, that was a little unconventional, but it could be just as real. 'So then, we could tell all of your adoring fans?'

'Oh… so you're not going to use this to your advantage for the next two years? Wouldn't it be good for your name?'

Draco looked at him and frowned, shaking his head slightly. 'No, it would not be good for my name if we get a divorce after only two years. And I'm sure you would rather no one knew about it, other than family and, in your case, close friends.'

'Done.' Harry gestured down to the case. 'So, which ring do you like?'

Draco studied Harry for a moment before answering. 'If we do this, we have to do it by the rules.'

'And what would those be?' Harry asked sensing a catch.

'You can't treat this like we're just friends with benefits. I'm not going to be your roommate. We need to make every decision together', Draco explained.

'So…I have to ask for your permission before I go to see my friends?' Harry mocked him.

'I didn't mean that, but you should let me know where you're going. Just do what you would do with Ginny. If you would've taken her somewhere then you have to take me.' Draco wanted to make sure that Harry was actually going to do it. Not just sign a piece of paper and ignore him for two years. For proving that they could fall in love, he needed to spend time with Harry. A lot of time.

'What if you don't want to go?'

'Then we'll have to find a compromise.' That was what marriage was about after all, working together until they both agreed on everything. 'As we will do with a lot of things, like where we're going to live. You can't treat this like you could leave tomorrow, because you can't. Can you handle this?'

'Um…yeah, of course.' Harry wasn't a child; he was planning to do that with Ginny. After two years living with Draco, getting back with Ginny would be bliss.

Draco actually smiled as they both stared down at the case of rings. He saw one that he had looked at before and was very glad that Harry happened to be in that particular shop instead of some of the other ones he had been seen in those last couple of weeks. He pointed to a white gold ring that had a light sketch of a snake around half of it with a jade in the middle for the eye.

The black-haired boy rolled his eyes - how perfectly Draco. Harry could have put up a fight, but luckily for the blond, he happened to like it as well. Being a Parselmouth, he had always liked snakes, especially when he was younger. Seeing a snake always reminded him of Dudley and his friends running from the snake at the Zoo. He did really enjoy having the ability, so he just waved the attendant instead of giving an actual response.

'There's been a change of plans. I'd like two of these, please.'

'Size?' asked the attendant. Draco didn't even hear what Harry said and mumbled his own in shock. He had expected that to be the first compromise they were going to have to make. Whilst Draco tried to let it sink in what was really happening, Harry continued to talk to the attendant about when the rings would be in and paid for them.

'So, we're really getting married?' Draco asked as they walked out of the shop together.

'Yeah, I guess we are. When would you like the wedding to be?' Harry cringed as he said it, were they going to have a real wedding? All for a bet?

'I'll have to speak with my mother and you with your friends and make sure they know not to tell anyone about it.'

'What should I tell them?'

'The truth: that we made a bet, and that it requires us to be married for two years. The wedding will be in six weeks; that should be plenty of time to plan it.'

'Six weeks?' Harry thought. Could they really get it all done that quickly? Mrs. Weasley said that they normally take a year to plan. 'You think we can plan it that fast?'

'Harry, we are very rich.' Draco shook his head at him. 'Do not underestimate what we can accomplish. Will the rings be ready?'

'Yes, they'll be here in two weeks. I can pick them up any time after that, and they're already paid for.' Of course, he had to be independently wealthy as well. Draco hoped he would find some flaw in Harry within the next two years. If he continued to always be perfect that would annoy him to no end.

'How about we meet for lunch on Monday to discuss the details of our arrangement?' Draco asked.

'Okay', Harry said, and he watched Draco turning and walking away. 'Wait, where?'

'Meet me at the tea-shop on the corner, at one o'clock', Draco pointed out the direction.

Harry nodded, 'Fine.'


	2. The Reaction

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: helikesapeanut and tavia_d

* * *

After Draco left, he went directly to the Daily Prophet and strode in like he owned the place. He only stopped to let the secretary know that he was on his way to speak to the head of the publishing department. When he walked in her office, Rita Skeeter was engaged in a floo call, so he sat quietly and waited for her to finish.

'Mr. Malfoy', she gushed. 'What brings you here? Do you have a juicy new story for me to cover?'

'Yes, and no.' She gave him a very confused look. He only came by with gossip for her to sell. 'Well, in two years I'll have the biggest story that has ever graced your pages, but for now, I need you not to publish certain stories.'

She quirked her eyebrow at him as she wondered what he was up to. Rita had known him for years, but he was not someone that she considered a friend. She was, however, friendly to him because he was rich and would give her titbits of information – anonymously, of course.

'Like?'

'Anything considering Harry Potter', he said very calmly as if it were natural that she would do whatever he asked.

'What?' Her voice became shrill. 'I can't do that. He sells more papers than anyone else. Besides, have you heard -'

Draco interrupted her before she could finish. 'That he is getting engaged to Ginevra Weasley? Yes, I have heard it, and I'll have a much bigger story for you if I have your cooperation. Then again, if not, I'll just have to use other means to keep his name out of the papers.'

'Other means?' She glared at him to show that she did not appreciate the threat.

'Indeed.'

'You're talking about using Dark Magic?'

Draco had no intention to do such a thing, but that had always been what people expected of him. He was a Malfoy after all, and had made the youthful mistake of becoming a Death Eater. He could easily persuade others using that image, and he often took advantage of it.

'Have I ever been afraid to use it?'

'I'd turn you in', she threatened.

'If you could prove it', he countered her. 'Who would believe that Draco Malfoy is trying to keep Harry Potter's name out of the papers? I fed you more stories about him than anyone else.'

'I know', she said through clenched teeth.

'I could also, just retract all the funding…' he added.

Rita got up, leant against the desk, which forced her to look down at Draco, who was sitting in one of the two chairs in front of her. She breathed slowly until she calmed herself down before she attempted to speak.

'Fine. You have my attention.'

Draco stood then, looked her straight in the eyes and continued as if speaking to a somewhat stupid child.

'Anything that has his name in it must be run by me first. If he will be so much as mentioned without my permission, I'll drop my funding. After that, you'll start to lose staff members.'

'You wouldn't -' She stopped leaning on her desk and stood straight upright, obviously terrified that he might intend to harm them.

'No, I wouldn't, but they'd resign.'

She nodded in acceptance; she didn't really have a choice. 'I already have a paper ready for tomorrow. I can't change it now.'

'You cannot use any of the information I am about to tell you, but our agreement doesn't start until next week. So if there are any fake stories you plan to use, get them out.'

'Go ahead.'

'Ginny has signed a two-year contract with the Chudley Cannons. She and Potter have decided to take a break while she's away.' He began to walk around her office, absently inspecting everything on her desk and shelves. 'I ran into him at the jewellers when he was looking for an engagement ring to give to her when she'll return.'

'Interesting.'

He smirked at her, amused by that dance they often did. He liked to try and make his stories seem dramatic; something they both had in common. 'Yes – however, the only ring he bought was for me.'

'Well, that was fast.'

'I've made a bet with him, and we have two years to prove each other wrong. So in six weeks we're going to have a private wedding. If anyone comes to you with rumours about any of this, you do not print them.'

'Married', she repeated in her head. 'Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter are going to get married.' And she was not allowed to print a word of it.

'I understand', she said weakly, trying to contain her disappointment.

'I will give you a few things in return, of course', Draco reassured her. 'Any interview that he might do, will be with you.'

She abruptly laughed at that and then narrowed her eyes at him. 'He never does interviews.'

He gave her a slight nod of understanding. 'As of this moment, Harry Potter is my fiancé, and in six weeks he'll be my husband. I'm going to help him deal with his fame. I hope to convince him that interviews, occasionally, are a good idea.'

'I understand.' She looked him over for a minute. 'Draco, you're a very attractive man, but how did you pull this? What is this bet about?'

'I bet him that we could fall in love with each other through marriage; he says that love should come first.'

'What happens if he wins?'

'Then we divorce, and I'll go back to live like a proper pure-blood, and let my mother pick out a suitable wife for me. You'll go back to harass him, although after two years with me, I assure you that'll be much more difficult for you.'

'Hmm. And if you win?'

He smiled a genuine smile, something she never saw on his face before. It suited him, she thought. He should use it more often.

'Then I finally get what I always wanted.'

'I'll have to remember that.'

Not five minutes after Draco left her office, Rita received an owl from the owner of a jewellery store with some very interesting news about Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

* * *

'You're doing what?' Ginny screamed at Harry in her bedroom at the Burrow. He had wanted to tell her before anyone else. Well, anyone other than Ron and Hermione. Neither of those two understood the arrangement, but both were more worried about Ginny's reaction to reflect on their own.

'It's only going to be for two years. It's just a bet, Ginny.' He walked over to her and tried to embrace her. She twisted away from him and crossed her arms over her chest.

'You're getting married to someone else, but it's okay because it's just a bet?' She paused, ' Are you insane?'

'Ginny, it's Malfoy. I'm not going to fall in love with him. I'm not even gay.' He dropped down on her bed, exasperated.

'That's not the point.' Ginny began to pace in front of him. 'Two days ago you were ready to propose to me, and now you're going to marry someone else?'

'Two days ago you broke off with me, so that we both could be free to do whatever we wanted for the next two years. And how did you know I was ready to propose?' He had not told anyone about it, not even Ron and Hermione.

'Everyone saw you shopping for engagement rings, Harry, it wasn't exactly a secret.' She uncrossed her arms and threw her hands in the air. He got up and went to stand in front of her. They stared at each other mutely for a minute.

'What would you have said if I would have asked you?'

Her eyes narrowed slightly, whilst her anger flared. 'What does it matter?' Ginny gritted out.

'It matters to me', he said solemnly, and her eyes flashed with anger.

'I would have said no.' She took a deep breath and continued more softly, 'We talked about this. Long-distance relationships do not work, Harry. I didn't want you to be tied down to me whilst I am away, and then have us break up from the stress of it.' She came to him and let him wrap his arms around her.

'Then why are you so upset about this?' he asked and searched her face for emotion as she answered.

'Because you're getting married, and I haven't even left yet! It's quite a bit different from having a few flings to get over the loneliness.'

That was what had really bothered him for the past couple of days. He had no problems with being celibate for two years while she was away. Also, it wasn't like they wouldn't see each other for the entire time. He agreed that maybe, regular visits would be a little difficult, but he would have been satisfied with anything she could give him as long as in the end they were together again. Their problem was that she wanted more than that, but she didn't want to cheat on him, either.

'It's just a bet. We'll get a divorce in two years. This means nothing to me, and no one's even going to know about it.'

She huffed and rolled her eyes at him. 'Like Malfoy isn't going to use this against you. It'll be all over the papers in the morning.'

'He said that he didn't want anyone to know about it', Harry thought about it and realised, '…though, even if Malfoy don't tell anyone, there is still the owner of the jewellery store.' He paused as she eyed him critically. 'Ginny, I can't hide from the world, or let what they think of me dictate everything I do. I can't stop them from printing stories about me, and most of what they print is not true anyway.'

'How can you trust him?'

'I don't.'

Harry had never been able to keep anything about himself out of the papers, and had long ago given up caring about it. It'd probably be in the next morning's papers. It would say that he and Draco had been together all along, or had fallen in love over lunch or something similar. He shook his head in disgust at the thought of what he'd just gotten himself into. Then he thought of what the headlines would read once he left Draco for Ginny again, which reminded him of why he had said yes to begin with. 'I'm doing this to prove that all his theories about you, your family, and us, are wrong.'

'His theories?'

'How a marriage based on love won't ever work. How I should marry for political reasons, because this world will just tear us apart. That you learn to love your spouse, and that said love is a lot stronger than anything we feel, because all we see is skin deep.'

'That's ridiculous. Their marriages last because they're not allowed to get a divorce, not because they love each other more. Look at my parents – they love each other and nothing, not money, not possessions, can compare to that. They are happy just with each other.'

Harry exhaled in relief. He couldn't expect her to be enthusiastic about it, but at least she was talking calmly to him again. She also did not tell him it was over, and not just whilst she was away, which after she had started yelling had become his real fear. Then he would have backed out of the bet, and let Draco win. Nothing was worth losing Ginny over.

'I know, Ginny. That's what I am going to prove to him, and I'm not gay. There's no way I could ever love him the way I love you, no matter what he does.' He squeezed her, and she wrapped her arms around him in response, then he kissed her head. He was still a little wary to kiss her on the mouth; he wasn't sure she would welcome it. He would better let her make that move first, but she didn't. Instead, she pulled back and sat on her bed.

'Well, I'm still not happy about it. I have packing to do, so I guess I'll see you downstairs.'

'Okay. I'll leave you then.' He nodded sadly, then walked downstairs and sat down on the sofa next to Hermione. He took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling.

'So', asked Hermione, 'How did it go?'

'You mean you didn't hear the screaming?'

She smiled at that, and Ron rolled his eyes, from the chair he was sitting in across from her. It was obvious that they'd spent the entire time he was upstairs, talking about him: they sat across from each other and not together only when they had serious discussions.

'Yes, but it stopped. Eventually.'

'She's not happy about it.'

'I still can't believe you agreed to this', Ron cut in. 'How could you let Malfoy talk you into it?' Apparently, Ron had to let it sink in before he could get angry about it.

'It isn't that surprising, Ron. Malfoy'd always known how to get what he wanted out of Harry.'

Harry frowned at that. 'He has?' he thought.

Hermione continued, 'I'm more worried about why Malfoy's chosen to do this.'

'Well, why did he say he wanted to do it?' Ron asked. Thank Merlin for Hermione. Ron forgot all about his anger towards Harry with just the idea that Draco was up to something.

'He didn't', said Harry. 'It's just to prove a point, I guess. Does he need a reason to prove me wrong?' 'Or embarrass me in every possible way', he added to himself.

'Well, Harry, what do you get if you win the bet?' Hermione asked. 'What happens after the two years?'

He hated the judgmental look on her face and really did not want to answer that question.

'Um. Then we get a divorce and walk away, I suppose. He admits that he's wrong, and it does take love to make a marriage work.' Hermione watched him closely; he didn't like the accusing look she was giving him. He started to feel rather guilty about what he was about to put them all through. 'That you can't just fall in love with whoever you're put with', he finished weakly.

'Okay', Hermione nodded, thinking aloud, 'So if he wins then you admit that he's right?' Harry nodded. 'And that you love him?' He nodded again. 'And then what? You – what? Stay married?'

'I don't know. I didn't ask. I assumed we'd still get a divorce, the bet's just for two years.'

'So if he wins, he gets to break your heart?'

'He isn't going to win.'

'Sounds like a pretty good revenge to me', Ron commented, completely ignoring Harry's interjection and staring at his girlfriend.

'Yes, to me too', she responded absently as it occurred to her that for Draco to be technically right, he would have to be in love with Harry. Really, though, what would Draco care if he lost on a technicality? He'd been losing to Harry

for years. It really would be the perfect revenge to break his heart.

Harry responded hotly. 'He isn't going to win! I'd have to be an idiot to fall in love with him.' They both give him half-hearted smiles. 'It'll be fine.'

* * *

'Mother, I'm getting married in six weeks, and I need your help to plan the wedding', he said as he swooped into the parlour. He sat in the chair opposite to his mother and began to pour himself a cup of tea.

'Draco, that's normally the responsibility of the bride's parents.' She looked at him curiously and set down her cup, folding her hands in her lap.

'I know, Mother. However, in this situation there'll be no bride and therefore, no bride's parents.' He smirked at her sour expression. He'd made it very clear to her, after his father was sent back to Azkaban, that he'd make his own decisions from then onwards. Though evidently she had assumed that he'd still consider her opinions over any marriage he might decide to make.

'How is that possible?'

'I'm marrying Harry Potter.'

The corner of Narcissa's mouth twitched, fighting a smile. She was not slow by any means and had realised a long time ago that her son was not interested in the opposite sex. When they'd first discussed that, he'd agreed to still marry a girl and provide an heir. It also hadn't escaped her notice, both that he had an unhealthy obsession with the Potter boy, and that said boy did not have similar feelings towards Draco.

'Once again, how's that possible?'

'That's of no importance. What's important is that we have a wedding to plan. One that must be kept secret.' It wasn't that he didn't trust his mother; more that he didn't want to hear a lecture from her. Slytherin that she was, it would look only like an invitation to get himself hurt by her, instead of a sneaky way of getting what he wanted.

'So, only family then?' It wouldn't be much of a wedding then, and would be rather simple to plan with a guest list of at the most twenty. She sincerely doubted that she would even need six weeks to get it done.

'Well, and close friends, considering that he has no family.'

'And of your close friends?'

'Only Blaise and Pansy need to know about it.'

'What about him? Who does he consider his close friends?'

'I haven't discussed it with him yet', Draco informed her. 'We are meeting on Monday to start picking out things. I need you to tell me where to go.'

'I'll make appointments for you – do you have his schedule?' He shook his head. 'Make sure you get it. You'll both need to be at all the appointments together. Normally, you two wouldn't have met, but since you have a history you should use this time to get to know each other.' She half laughed. 'In a better light, at least.'

Draco smiled; that was what he was hoping for, after all. 'I'll let him know.' He finally started to relax and sipped his tea, and she brought hers back to her lap.

'Is this a secret at his request?'

'It was a mutual decision.' At her confused expression he added, 'It might only last a couple of years.'

'That wouldn't look good for you.'

'I'm aware of that', he sneered. 'I need to know that it's permanent before I allow it to be public knowledge.'

'And if someone leaks it?'

'I have already been to the Daily Prophet, and she knows they aren't allowed to print a word of it', he waved his hand slightly with a dismissive gesture.

'What about the other magazines and newspapers?'

'No one believes the other papers and magazines, unless there is an actual interview.'

'What about anything else about him?'

'Starting next week, everything has to be run by me first.'

'Next week?'

'I need to have a conversation with him first.' He was going to talk Harry into giving an interview and try to pull him out of his shell, when it came to the press. If they continued to write false stories about him, it would never work. After Lucius was sent to prison, the Malfoy name had been in the papers quite often, and he had learnt to deal with them. When he graduated from Hogwarts, Draco had to take his father's place, and he was not going to let the media walk all over his family name again. Making bargains with people like Rita Skeeter kept his name out of the papers and got her promoted with the information he shared anonymously.

'I do hope you know what you're doing. I'd hate to see you with a broken heart, darling', she told him, with concern in her eyes. She might have been cold when he was younger, but everything changed with the war. The idea of losing him didn't turn her into a smothering, clingy woman, but she did show more softness towards him.

'I know what I'm doing, mother', he said as he got up and walked over to her. He kissed her cheek. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome', she smiled at him as she patted his arm. She really did hope that he knew what he was doing.


	3. The Shopping

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: tavia_d

* * *

Like Harry and Draco had planned, they met for lunch on Monday. They were polite if not quiet at first; both were in deep thought about how much their relationship was about to change. They exchanged information so that Mrs. Malfoy could make the appropriate appointments and so that Harry could get a hold of Draco if he needed to. Not that Harry really thought he would need to get a hold of him. He was mostly worried about what would happen when it would all go public. Anyone that saw them shopping together would report it, Harry was sure of it. Even if they both had agreed to keep it quiet, the fact that people saw them together was bound to cause a stir.

They had rather normal workweeks Monday through Friday, even though Harry had training from nine to five, and Draco liked to get his business done early so that he had the evenings to himself. Therefore, he got to work at six and left at two. It left them both free for the weekends, which were of course the busiest times to shop.

'Mother needs to know who we would like for attendants and who you would like to be there. That has to be done this week.' Draco started abruptly after the waitress had left. He was not taking his time at that, which Harry was thankful for. He was not quite ready to make small talk with Draco, yet.

'None of my friends is very happy about this', Harry said nervously, 'but I am sure that Ron and Hermione would be a part of it, at least for me.'

'I want Pansy to be the maid of honour. She's my best friend', Draco said forcefully but not rudely. Harry thought about it, though he did not intend to object, and he nodded his okay. That was not his 'real' wedding, so he really did not care.

'Um, then Ron could be the best man. He's my best friend', Draco smirked at that, because he knew that was what Harry would say before he had. It grated on Harry's nerves, but he took a deep breath and let it go. If he was going to live with Draco, then he would have to deal with Draco's attitude, and Draco would have to deal with Ron.

'I assumed you wanted that', Draco looked thoughtful for a moment. 'If he's willing to do it, that is.'

'He'll be willing.' Harry sincerely hoped Ron would. He was not sure he would be able to make it through the day without Ron. He also did not want to hear Draco's 'I told you so', nor a lecture on how Ron was not a proper friend.

'Alright then, Hermione and Blaise?' Harry nodded his approval; that was not going as bad as he thought it would be. They were not fighting, even if he was irritated and slightly on edge. 'More importantly we need to discuss who will be there. Anyone that might need to know about it has to be there. So people you come in contact with often enough that they would figure it out, and people that come by your house to visit you.'

'Okay, well I cannot keep any secrets from the Weasleys , and since I have already told Ginny and Ron, the rest should know by tomorrow.' That was something Harry actually liked about their family. He liked sharing his life with people and being free to be himself around them. He liked having them knowing everything about him, and living with no secrets. He was just worried about what they were going to say about that.

'Make sure they know to keep it quiet.'

'They know Malfoy. None of them would ever go to the papers with anything they know about me.' Finally, the food arrived just in time to cut off Harry before he started to rant.

Draco pulled out a small piece of parchment and a quill and started writing down the names.'Anyone else?'

'I'm close to my friends Malfoy. I don't keep secrets from them.'

Draco let out an exasperated sigh, obviously trying to contain himself. Why he was in love with someone that could irritate him so much, he would never understand.

'I don't care who you want to tell, just as long as they know to keep it to themselves. Everyone needs to know who knows and who doesn't. If they're at the wedding then they are allowed to know, and if they aren't then they can't.' Draco explained simply.

'Okay, I understand that, I'm not a child', Harry said a little too loud, as he grabbed his sandwich and started to eat so he did not yell at the blond in front of all those people. He had already gained the attention of a few tables that were near them. 'Neville and Luna, your aunt and her grandson Teddy. I'm not sure how much of a risk a two year old is, being that he can barley talk.'

'Is that it?' Draco sighed, he had not really thought about it until then, but other than Blaise, Pansy, and his mother he would have no one there. He was an extremely private person. 'You haven't kept in touch with the entire Gryffindor house, have you?' he asked as he continued to write out the names, slightly interested in the fact that he was about to put his mother in the same room with her sister. He was not too sure how she was going to react to that.

'No, I haven't.' Harry rolled his eyes. He was only really attached to the Weasleys . Their family just happened to be a big one. It was not like he wanted everyone he knew to know everything about him. ' These are all I can think of that really need to know', then as an afterthought, ' Fleur, Bill's wife.'

'She is considered a Weasley…' Draco drawled. 'I already wrote her down. Are any of the others married?'

'Just him and Ron.' Harry replied calm once again. 'Is there anything else we need to decide?'

'No, at least not today.' Draco rolled up the parchment and tucked it into his robe before he started to eat his food. 'My mother will take care of everything else.'

The first appointment Mrs. Malfoy made for them, was to find suits to wear. Harry was not looking forward to it, at all. He had heard that it took a whole year to plan a wedding and did not know if it was possible to get it done in six weeks. Having Malfoy there to laugh at him through the entire experience would make it that much worse, and he hated shopping for clothes anyway. Plus, the appointment was for eight in the morning on his day off.

Harry met Draco outside the store on Saturday, and then they walked in together. Harry looked around the shop at all the different suits, becoming more overwhelmed by the second, but Draco was calm.

'Just look around a minute while I go to get someone to help us', Draco whispered in his ear. All he could do was nod, though, he did step farther in the store and started to look at some of the suits on display. Draco could tell he was nervous and went to the sales person before she had a chance to approach them. The blond smiled and gestured at her to follow him back up to the counter where the rest of the employees kept themselves busy.

'Hello ladies', Draco smiled as he approached them. It was new to him smiling at people instead of sneering at them, but his family lost a lot of respect after the war. It was up to him to earn that respect back, and he had learnt that demanding it did not work the way his father had taught him. Actually, he learnt that a lot of things did not work the way his father had taught him.

'Good morning, Mr. Malfoy. I believe you have an appointment. What are you looking for today?' The manager spoke up first. She was just as curious as the rest of the girls about what they were doing there together. Even though the war was long over, they had never associated with each other before, and Harry did not go out in public very often. There were even rumours that he had died, until the resent ring shopping sightings.

'I have a few instructions for you, and it's very important that you strictly follow them.' He paused as they acknowledged that. 'One: no one, and I mean no one, neither your significant others, nor your children, not even your mothers are allowed to know that we were here today', he explained sternly. He knew better than anyone how quickly gossip got around. It was where he got his most reliable information, because behind every lie was a grain of truth. He was rather talented at finding out what the truth actually was and using it to his advantage. 'Not any other day that we choose to return. In fact, that will be the factor in if we ever do return.' The manager nodded and glared at the girls, until they did as well.

'Yes, your mother made that perfectly clear.' Draco smiled at the mention of his mother. It took over a year for him to regain the respect he used to receive as a child. That was the first time anyone mentioned his mother in a pleasant way. People had grown accustom to just not to mention them at all. It was still too soon for his family to be forgiven. He knew that his presence caused people fear, just by how often their eyes would drift down to his covered arm. It was as if they could see through the fabric. There were very few people that actually knew the mark was there, and he had no intentions to let that number rise.

'Two, he's new to this. Don't ask questions that he doesn't know how to answer. He doesn't know his measurements or the names you use for your colours and fabrics. Direct the questions at him, but I will answer most of them. When you ask him if he likes one cut over the other, show it to him. He won't know what you are talking about.' The girls looked slightly confused as why he bothered with that. They would have been able to figure that out after they spoke with him.

'He hates to shop. I'm aiming to change that', Draco said sweetly. 'He's going to feel uncomfortable at first, and I don't want anything to make it worse. So, when he asks you to call him 'Harry', do it, do not question it, and when any of you comes up to me around him, call me 'Draco'.' That was going to be a hard thing to change; they were all very used to him and to the way they were supposed to act around him. He wanted them to be the complete opposite?

'Forget who he is. That's the reason he never comes out. So, treat him like you treat each other and not the way that you would normally treat me.' Once he was sure that they understood what he was saying, he switched to the question the manager had originally asked. 'We're looking for two suits for us that coordinate with each other together. And another one for him to wear to a dinner party.'

'Yes, sir, Mr. Malfoy', the manager said politely. He raised his eyebrow, and she stuttered, 'Sorry, of course, Draco.'

'Good. Also, if any of you thinks she will not be able to control herself from starring, blushing or giggling, she should stay in the back until we leave', he said whilst he looked directly at one girl that was doing just that. She went silent and nodded her head quickly, before he walked with the third and last sales associate towards Harry. The girl held out her hand. Harry accepted it and shook it.

'Hello, Mr. Potter. My name is Victoria. What is the occasion that you are shopping for. today?'

'Please, call me 'Harry'', he responded immediately, but then stumbled over the second question with a long 'uhhh, I, ummm.'

'He needs a suit to wear to a dinner party', Draco intervened. 'And we're both looking for the suits that I previously mentioned .'

'How about we start by measuring you both. Follow me gentlemen.' Draco knew his measurements by heart, and, even if he did not, they had them in their files. But, if only Harry got measured then it would be just them hovering around him. The girl was smart. That way she could divide her attention between both of them, and Harry would not feel so pressured.

She took them to the dressing rooms to measure them, and it was done within minutes. That was going to take a while. Though, she knew the styles that Draco liked and even some of his favourite colours, Harry did not even know what he liked, so asking him was futile. She could ask if he liked green or blue, but that would mean nothing in apparel. Some people looked the best in colours that they did not necessarily like and even if he did like and look good in blue there were twelve shades. Without seeing them all on him, they wouldn't know which blue would be the best.

In the end, it took three hours to go through the suits and to pick out a few different ones. After the first hour, she had figured out about what Harry liked. They spent the rest of the time putting together a few things for him to purchase that day. Harry did end up relaxing and even became very opinionated about it by the end of the visit. Every one could tell that he was beginning to have a good time.

When Harry checked the time as they were paying, he was surprised at how late it was. He had surprised himself a few times that day. He had not planned on buying anything just for himself, but somehow Draco talked him into it. He did not fight about it too much; since he was going to be married to Draco, he had a feeling that he was going to need them.

Harry had always hated dressing up before because the clothes were uncomfortable and itchy. It was almost impossible to breath in them, and he had voiced those concerns before they even started. Draco smirked at him.

'That's because you were not properly fitted.'

Harry did not have any of those problems with anything she brought him. There was a couple of times that, before she even handed the garment to Harry, Draco shook his head and listed one of the reasons Harry had mentioned.

'So, that was not so horrible was it?' Draco asked once they made their way outside and were absentmindedly walking down the path.

'Actually, it was a little fun', he shyly admitted. 'Though I'm tired.' He had never thought that shopping could be so exhausting; then again, he never spent three hours in one store.

'Understandable.' Draco nodded his head. 'Are you ready for next Saturday?'

'What's next Saturday?' Harry asked wearily and stopped, giving Draco a questioning look.

'It's the fun part.' He smirked at Harry's unease. 'My mother is having a dinner party to celebrate our engagement.'

Harry was a bit peeved that it was just then thrown at him, but he expected it since they were rushing through that part.

'Well, if it's the fun part, then I guess I should be looking forward to it', Harry said sarcastically, not trying to hide his ill mood at the news, at all. 'When were you planning to tell me?'

'I just did. These next few weeks will go fast. She has already sent out the invitations, and everyone that is invited to the wedding will be at the dinner party. They should have gotten them yesterday morning.' They walked in silence for a while. It had only been a week and everyone was already invited. Harry laughed at the idea of 'celebrating' their engagement. What was there really to celebrate? Then again, the more he thought about it, she probably didn't have much to celebrate in the last few years. He didn't know much about Mrs. Malfoy, but she helped him in the final battle against Voldemort. He hoped she was having fun planning the wedding. It seemed like the type of thing she would enjoy.

'Though, I'm not looking forward to the morning', Harry popped out with, and Draco gave him a confused look, 'I don't even care to read what 'The Daily Prophet' is going to say about this.' He gestured back towards the store they had walked out of.

'Harry, you'll see that there are many benefits you will attain being with me', Draco smiled, since he knew that there would be no such story. He was glad that Harry was the one to bring it up. He had tried to figure out how to broach the subject all day. Yet, he still had to convince Harry to do an interview.

'Oh really?' Harry asked sceptically, because he had not thought of one benefit he could gain from the situation. Everything about it had turned out bad for Harry, so far. The shopping had been nice, but he did not think that learning to enjoy spending money frivolously was a benefit.

'One of them is that I can teach you how to deal with reporters.'

'How's that?' They continued to walk down the street not heading anywhere in particular. Harry was in no hurry to part with Draco's company just yet, which was odd. He had the options of either going home to be alone all day, or going to the Weasleys' who weren't that happy with him at that moment. Plus, he had not fought with Draco at all that day, which made him not all that unpleasant to be around. There were still little things that annoyed him. He was still not comfortable, but it really wasn't that bad.

At the same time, Draco wondered when it would all fall apart. He had a feeling it would with the conversation he was trying to have. Harry seemed to control his temper better when surrounded by the public eye. So, Draco started walking towards a restaurant where they could stop and have lunch.

'If you give them a little, they will back off a lot. They write rubbish about you, because you refuse to give them any truth', Draco explained.

'Oh, not you too!' Harry groaned as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. 'I get this from Hermione. Besides, I remember a time when your family was written about quite a bit.' Harry pointed an accusing finger at Draco, who shrugged.

'That was a dark time for all of us, but you do need to learn how to make deals with people', Draco continued not letting Harry drop the subject. 'You cannot just give them an interview and expect them to back off. You have to let them know that they'll only get the interview, if they back off.' They arrived at the same deli they ate at the previous day, and Draco pulled open the door and gestured Harry inside.

'But, I don't want to tell them anything', Harry said petulantly.

Draco sighed and shook his head as he calmed himself before he said something he would regret. It amazed him how much self-control he learnt the last year of the war. Having to watch people get tortured when they said the wrong thing, taught him how to keep his mouth shut. Harry was acting like a child, and he really wanted to tell him that, but he didn't.

'There're things I'm sure you don't mind talking about.' Draco assured him. 'Like, for instance, that you're going to be an Auror and the training you're involved in right now', he off handily suggested.

'Well, that no', Harry reluctantly admitted. 'But, they don't care about that. Everyone has already known that', he pointed out.

'But no one has heard you talk about it.' That was true of course. No one had heard Harry say anything; he did not even make an official statement at the end of the war. There were bits of information from the few people Harry had talked to, like the Minister of Magic and the head of the Auror department. There had not been a direct quote from Harry Potter in the news since their fifth year of school. Yet, no matter how much Harry hid away, the public's interest in him never wavered.

'They won't just stick to that. They'll try to make me say more, or say I said things that I didn't.' Harry got angry by just the thought of some of the things that had been said about him. It lingered without being said that Draco was the cause of most of it. Despite that, Draco pressed on.

'So, you don't let them', Draco said forcefully. 'Look, I'll help you. I'll get Rita…' Harry groaned and rolled his eyes. Draco continued as if he did not hear him, '…to call you on Monday, and I will be there with you, if you want me there.' Harry was stubborn and glared at the blond, who was not intimidated by that in the least.

'What? Just talk about the Auror program?'

'Yes.'

Harry's breathing started to quicken, and he was obviously trying to hold back his anger at Draco, who sighted exasperatedly.

'Calm down, Potter. It will be fine. I told you I'd be there for you.'

'Excuse me if that's not reassuring, but you've never been there for me before.'

'I'm your fiancée. You have to learn to trust me.'

He was not going to take it, though. Just because they were getting married didn't mean he had to listen to everything Draco told him to do.

'That might take a while.' Harry gritted out.

'I trust you', Draco sounded offend that Harry was still holding a grudge, not that it had really been that long since they were enemies.

'I'm a trust worthy person, and I have not made it my top priority to ruin your life, like you have.'

'Have I ruined your life?' Draco countered.

'Not yet…' Harry responded. 'But if I give you a few weeks you might' were the next words about to come out of Harry's mouth, before he was cut off.

'Well then, quit thinking that I will. On Monday, on your lunch, come by the Manor', he instructed as if Harry had already agreed.

'You can't make me do this', Harry said in a low angry voice as he vowed to himself to quit having important discussions with Draco in public. It had already turned into a pattern where he always lost.

'You're right. I can't, but I'd like you to.' Draco's voice changed to a pleading tone. 'So would you just think about it?' he finished.

Harry calmed down. No one had just asked him before. Hermione had 'suggested' and then dropped it. She would bring it up in conversation, but never just asked. Ginny would fight with him about it. He did not want to think about her just then or about the interview. Maybe they were all right. When had Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger ever agreed on anything before? Harry reluctantly nodded.

After he thought about it, he realised that Draco was acting just as he would expect someone that he was engaged to would act. Well, minus the physical contact that he would also expect. Had Draco touched him at all that day? There had been a tense moment earlier when Draco showed, or rather taught Harry how to properly tie his tie. Draco still ended up fixing it after Harry's attempt each time. It had made Harry nervous. He expected Draco to kiss him at any moment.

Draco had not kissed him. When was he going to kiss him? The day we get married, or maybe at the dinner party? It was not that he wanted Draco to kiss him. It was just that they were going to get married, and they had not kissed yet. It was weird, and Draco was acting strange. Harry needed to talk. So naturally, he went to Hermione and hoped Ron didn't have too many negative things to say. Besides, he needed to bring them up to speed with the proceedings of the wedding arrangements and let them know their role in it. He had put it off long enough.


	4. The Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: tavia_d

* * *

'Do you think he's up to something?' Harry decided he might as well get it out, instead of beating around the bush.

'We already told you that he's up to something, mate', Ron pointed out.

'Yes, but I mean with his new behaviour? He's not himself', he added. 'He's acting …' Harry really did not know how to describe it. 'Friendly?'

'Well, you didn't like him before, Harry', Hermione reminded him. 'How's he supposed to make you fall in love with him by being someone that you hate?' she asked. It was genuinely confusing to her that Harry had not expected Draco to be 'friendly' towards him.

'True.' He nodded at her. 'So do you think that it is an act? Should I believe anything he says, or figure it is a trap?'

'Are you afraid that it might not be?' She was curious. Harry was impulsive, but getting married? That was a bit dramatic even for him. She had hoped that his obsession with Draco died. He had never killed anyone, and it was Harry's testimony that kept him from spending time in Azkaban. He had broken the law, but so had Harry. It was war.

'What? No, of course, it's an act, but I don't want him pretending to be someone he's not all of the time.'

'Then tell him that.'

'What? Fight with him about it?' He seemed to like that idea if his expression suggested anything.

'It's what you do best after all', Ron said.

'Would we be allowed to fight if this were real?'

'Harry, this is real.' Hermione was stunned. Sometimes she really could not understand boys. They weren't getting married for love, but they were getting married. Just like any match that would have been made for Draco, except, they were choosing it. 'You're really marrying Malfoy.'

'For two years', he threw in as if the time limit changed the dynamitic of it completely.

'…And of course you can fight with him and tell him to be himself if it bothers you.' She threw her hands up in the air to show how frustrated he was making her with his slow grasp of what he was doing. 'You think that purebloods don't fight with their spouses because their parents tell them not to?'

'I don't know. Maybe. He says there are all sorts of rules.'

'Well, one of those rules is no divorce and you two plan to break that one.' She glared at him. They might have been only nineteen, but she swore sometimes they still acted like they were twelve.

'He doesn't.' Harry ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. 'I do.' Harry knew that it was probably an important piece of information. It would help them figure out what Draco was up to. But he had been too upset about the fight with Ginny to mention it previously.

'What do you mean, he doesn't? I thought you said he didn't say what'd happen if he won.' They had already covered that, and Hermione was sure that Draco was trying to get revenge on Harry by breaking his heart.

'Well he didn't say… he did ask me, though', he informed them.

'And you said?'

'That we'd already be married.' He winced before he even finished the sentence, because he knew what would happen.

'Why didn't you tell us this before?' Hermione's voice was shrill, loud and made him feel like he was twelve years old again.

'I don't know', he sputtered. 'I was upset about Ginny.'

'Well, she isn't here right now.'

'I know. Probably that's why I remember that part now.'

'Speaking of, have you heard from her?' Ron asked.

'No… have you?' Harry looked up at him from where he was sitting in the den, and hoped he didn't sound desperate for news, like he actually was.

'Yeah, she's settling in fine. I just thought she might have written to you.' Ron and Hermione shared a secretive look, and Harry hated it. It reminded him of the time when they had not told him anything all summer long, after the fourth year. They were keeping secrets from him again. It hurt more then, because it was about Ginny. He couldn't ask them for information about her or yell at them for not giving it to him. It was none of his business what Ginny had told them, because they were not together anymore. For the next two years, he had to get used to that. He would have had to anyway, even had the thing with Draco not happened.

'Anyway, about Malfoy. It's your marriage; do what you want with it. Just remember that this is real and not a game.'

'Thank you', then Harry looked from Hermione to Ron, 'both of you for being here for me.'

'I've a feeling that you're really going to need us.'

'It'll be fine, speaking of being there for me…' Harry said while he looked at Ron.

'What?' Ron asked with his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what Harry was plotting.

'Umm, would you two like to be in our wedding?' Ron looked a little stunned, but Hermione just smiled.

'Of course we will, Harry.'

'Good, because Mrs. Malfoy already made an appointment for you to get fitted into the attire she has picked out', Harry said quickly as he hoped that part did not anger them.

* * *

'Hey', Ron said as he came quietly into Harry's room. He looked uncomfortable in his suit, as he came to stand next to Harry. The black-haired boy caught his eyes in the reflection of the mirror. 'How are you doing?'

Malfoy had been right. Everything went really fast. It was Saturday, the night of Narcissa's engagement party for them and three weeks before he and Draco would be married.

'Fine', Harry answered as he tried to fix his tie. He had the interview with Skeeter like he had agreed to do. It did not turn out all that bad, and nothing had been printed about him since then. 'Like I said. Malfoy's been okay. I'm just not looking forward to any of this.' Why would he be? Even if they did learn to get along, which Harry had begun to realise was actually a possibility, he would still be married to a guy that treated him like dirt for seven years. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that just got worse by the day.

'No one ever does', Ron laughed. 'Hermione says that the wedding and the first year are the hardest part.' Harry was not sure where Ron was going with that. 'If you get through that you're set.' Harry had to get through it. He did not have a choice without admitting he was wrong and giving up on the bet altogether. As the days went on, it became both an increasingly and a decreasingly attractive idea. If he gave up, then he would have to admit Malfoy was right and stay home alone or become a third wheel to Hermione and Ron's relationship. Yet, everyday he was becoming aware of what 'married' really meant and how long two years could really be.

'Alright, I think I'm ready', Harry stated then Ron patted him on the back.

'What are you so nervous about?' Ron asked as he laughed. 'Remember you don't care what Malfoy thinks', Harry shrugged. He really did not know how to answer that, because he was not sure why he was so worked up about it.

Harry was told to arrive earlier then everyone else, but Hermione and Ron came with him for moral support. The Malfoys dropped the wards to allow them to Apparate in. Suddenly they were standing in the same room that they had been taken to in their seventh year. Harry clenched his fists, and Hermione had begun to fidget. Ron looked nervous, though he was more nervous about how Harry was going to react then being in that particular room. Draco and his mother were waiting for them, and she caught on to the tension, whilst the blond just seemed to be confused by it.

'Why don't we move to the dining room?' She was sitting and held out her hand. 'Draco?' He took her hand delicately and helped her rise to her feet. It was as they were all leaving the room, and Draco was pulling the door shut that he looked up and caught sight of the fireplace. He had been leaning against it on that night so many years before. It hit him then what had bothered them about the room when they Apparated. As his mother continued to lead the others down the hall, Draco pulled Harry back.

'Harry, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…' Draco started, but Harry cut him off.

'About anybody other than yourself? I guess I'm going to have to get used to that huh?' Harry glared refusing to keep his temper in check.

'No, that's not how this is supposed to be', Draco persisted, but did not let his temper flare as the black-haired boy had done. Harry knew that he was making a bigger deal out of the situation than it was. It was about all the little things that had been bothering him, and he could not keep them in any longer.

'I'm sick of that too', Harry fumed walking towards Draco almost pinning him to the wall. 'Quit, being all friendly and sucking up to me, that's not you!'

'How that's not me?' Draco countered him as he refused to let Harry have him backed into a corner. 'You don't know anything about me to even have a base for that accusation.'

'I've known you since we were eleven. I think I have a pretty good idea of your character by now.' Draco opened his mouth to continue, but Harry went right on venting steadily getting louder. 'You're always hateful and look down on everyone and everything around you, including your friends!'

'How would you know any of that? You've never seen how I am when I'm with my friends. I'm only hateful when I'm in a bad mood, which, by the way, your presence used to put me in.'

Harry took one step back away from him.

'Used to? Then why aren't you like that now?' Harry lowered his voice back to a more conversational tone. 'Why have you been acting like a normal person?'

'Because I am a normal person!' Draco glared as he gritted his sentences out through his teeth. 'And, I grew up!' He turned to walk away, but Harry caught him by his elbow and forcefully made the blond turn to face him.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that.'

Draco was starring down the hall, whilst Harry tried to catch his eye. Really, Harry did mean it just as he said it, but in retrospect it was a rather callous thing to say to anyone. 'I just don't want you to pretend to be someone else just to win this bet. You haven't been acting anything like what I know of you, since I agreed to this bet.'

'I've been treating you as I would've anyone that I was engaged to.' Draco slowly breathed as he tried to keep his temper down. He couldn't really argue with Harry's logic that he was only acting differently to win. Even if it was not the right reason, it was the obvious reason. 'What would you prefer me to do? Would you rather I insult everything you do?'

'If that's how you actually feel about it', Harry shrugged. 'I just want you to be honest, if you're expecting me to fall in love with you. I can't do that if you are not yourself.' Draco finally looked at him and nodded before they continued down the hall. 'You really wouldn't kiss someone you're engaged to?'

'Not until the wedding day', Draco smirked. 'Why? Do you want me to kiss you?'

'It's not that', Harry shifted nervously. 'I just thought it was odd.'

Draco stopped him right before they entered the dining room and leant forward as if he was going to kiss him, but stopped before their lips met. 'Stand up straight and quit starring at the ground when you walk', he ordered, and Harry glared at him in defiance. 'It makes you look unsure of yourself', he added in a much friendlier tone. Then he glanced down at Harry's tie, rolled his eyes and fixed it before they joined everyone else.

'Ah, there you are', Mrs. Malfoy said as they entered and joined them at the table. 'We have a few things to discuss, and Mr. Zabini and Ms. Parkinson should be here soon.' After they settled in and everyone had their attention on her, she continued, 'I thought it would be a good idea if everyone would get more aquatinted with each other. I've invited you earlier, because you play a more important role in all of this.'

'In the wedding?' Hermione asked.

'Yes, but more in their lives.' Draco watched his mother curiously. 'Draco said that he and Harry are planning to do that as properly as possible.' She forced a tight smile with that. 'Since I'm sure none of you are used to our customs…'

'You're going to enlighten them?' Draco sneered at his mother. He had not planned to involve anyone in their arrangement other than the wedding itself.

'Have faith, you'll appreciate this later', she whispered to him sternly though everyone could hear her anyway. Harry gave Draco a questioning look to which the blond had to fight the urge to roll his eyes as he waved his mother to continue. 'This is going to be their relationship. It is considered inappropriate to persuade either party to attempt to end the relationship. They need to work out together everything they do. It will be the same with me…' Draco cut her off there because Granger looked insulted, and Weasley looked confused.

'They have probably said all they could to get him out of it as it is. None of this is relevant mother, or I would have informed them myself', he sighed and then decided to explain more to Weasley than anyone else. 'She only means that you are not supposed to give Harry any advice. If I was to go to her because Harry and I were having a problem, she would listen and then say 'do whatever you feel is best.' You aren't supposed to help him.'

'Why not?' Weasley asked.

'It only causes unwanted problems. They have to make their decisions without the influences of others and if…' Mrs. Malfoy's posture tightened obviously not liking the next part so, Draco continued for her.

'If you don't like with what we come up with, it's considered improper to complain about it.' When Granger opened her mouth to retort Draco stopped her. 'I really had not expected any of you to follow that even if I told you, which is why I didn't bring it up.' Then he turned to speak more to Harry then the others. 'But, if this is done right, that is how it would be. Once we get married my mother no longer has any say in any decision we make and has to support them even if she does not agree with them.'

'Same goes with us', Parkinson said as she and Zabini entered the room. 'Did we miss much?'

'Not at all', Mrs. Malfoy answered as they were taking their seats.

'That seems fair.' Harry spoke up. 'I wouldn't listen to anything anyone have to say anyway, but it would be nice to know that I wouldn't have to hear what I should do all the time', Mrs. Malfoy smiled as Granger glared at Harry, and Zabini laughed.

'I'm sure you'll hear enough of it from Draco', Zabini commented.

'I'm actually surprised. I thought your parents would control you until you die, or they do rather', Harry said.

'Would you have expected that of your parents?' Mrs. Malfoy asked.

'Well, I guess I would have expected them to always give me advice, but to actually force me… I suppose not.' Harry fidgeted. 'But they weren't proper were they?'

'It's tradition, and it has much more to do with passing down the family name', Draco interrupted to keep the conversation on the right path and not have it turned into a huge fight.

'Really, Potter', Blaise assisted. 'Do you think that all of our grandparents were thrilled about the idea of their children joining a war?' The Gryffindors thought about it. When no one seemed likely to respond he continued. 'No, not all of them were. In fact, I believe, though Draco's mother's parents were supportive, his father's parents did not like the idea of their only heir putting himself in such a dangerous situation.'

'Yes, it was what made all of our parents agree to our match so quickly, instead of picking others themselves.' Mrs. Malfoy smiled at the memory. 'His parents loved me because I refused to join him, and my parents loved Lucius because he already had.'

As everyone else began to arrive, the atmosphere became more and more tense. Mrs. Weasley kept complimenting Mrs. Malfoy's decorations and clothes, which irritated Ron to no end, though Hermione assured him it was because she was just trying to make conversation. In a way it had worked, though no one else seemed to be able to participate in it. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, both being pure-bloods themselves, knew all of the proper ways, even if they had chosen not to force the beliefs on their children.

'I think it's lovely that you chose to do things the proper way Harry', Mrs. Weasley stated after a few glasses of wine. 'Bill and Fleur did that as well. It was important to her parents… not that I would ever had disagreed with it.' Harry faked a smile remembering how irritated they were with Fleur through the entire wedding. 'So few children choose to do things the proper ways anymore.' He knew that she was attempting to lead her family by example, and Mr. Weasley was, as well, agreeing with whatever she said. Though he always agreed with everything she said, not just in the current situation.

'That's why most of our parents don't give us the choice', Pansy broke in.

'My mother did', Draco retorted.

'Yes, well I did say most.' Pansy tilted her head. 'I'm not sure my parents would agree that this', she gestured between the two boys, '…is actually proper.'

'I'm not so sure that I'd agree with them then.' Mrs. Malfoy smiled. 'After wars it is customary to offer a truce and it was common in generations before ours to have them in the form of marriage. ' Pansy scowled and was obviously about to say something to the effect of them both being male, but Mrs. Malfoy did not give her the chance. 'I can't say that I was surprised. Well I was surprised that Mr. Potter agreed, but not that my son had offered.'

'It wasn't exactly an of… ouch', Ron said as Hermione pinched his arm to get him to shut up. Luckily, dinner was served just then, and the need to converse had, for the time being, ended. Afterwards they all retired to a different lounge and slowly the number of guests tapered off until it was once again the seven of them.

'Is dinner always this long?' Harry said as he sat down on the couch. Hermione smiled at Harry reassuringly, but let Draco answer.

'A dinner party yes, but dinner in general, no', Draco replied as he sat next to Harry. 'And It's normally not as difficult', Draco assured him. 'When everyone gets more acquainted with each other it will seem like it ends too soon.'

'You'll see, Harry', Hermione agreed with Draco. 'The rehearsal will be busy, but more relaxed. This was actually a really good idea.'

'Thank you, Miss Granger.' Mrs. Malfoy walked over to join them. 'Speaking of the wedding, are you two ready for your next task?'

'Right now?' Harry asked exhausted. Draco smirked at him.

'No', Mrs. Malfoy said. 'But tomorrow you need to at least discuss where you're going to live.'

'Both of us already have places to live in', Harry stated the next day, while on their way to look at the flats and houses on the lists the estate agent had made for them. Harry had to say one thing about Mrs. Malfoy: she did get things done quickly.

'We are obviously going to live together', Draco drawled.

Harry rolled his eyes at that.

'I know that', he snapped and then sighed as he tried to collect himself. 'I just meant that we could just live in one of the places we already own.'

'Where's the fun in that?' Draco scoffed, but after he saw how close Harry was to lose his temper, he decided to explain. 'We need a new place because we are starting a new path. The Manor is big enough, but even if I had married someone my parents picked for me, we would not have lived there until my parents moved out.'

'Moved out?'

'It's different based on the agreements of every family's inheritance. My parents were going to leave me the Manor when my father retired, which wasn't supposed to be for another fifteen years. They were going to live in a smaller mansion in France that they own. My mother loves it there.' Harry thought about it and really didn't like the idea of leaving Mrs. Malfoy alone in that huge Manor by herself. 'None of that can change without my father's approval or death. I've already received my first inheritance when I became of age, and I'll get my secondary inheritance when we get married, but I can't receive my full inheritance before my father's death.'

'So who is controlling the Malfoy fortune right now?'

'Nothing is being done with it right now, and nothing can be done with it. My mother has her own money, and if she chooses to leave Malfoy Manor, it will still be taken care of without her.'

Harry shook his head. It was a lot to take in. Draco got three inheritances? Maybe it was because he was an only child; he had said that it was different for each family. They arrived at the first flat, which turned out to be on the top floor. It was huge, and he could not even think of what he would do with all that space. Draco, of course, seemed to disagree. It was the same with all the places they visited. They were massive, much more than what two people really needed, and Draco would always find something that was just not up to par.


	5. The Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: tavia_d

* * *

'I can't believe I'm getting married in fifteen minutes.'

Hermione rubbed Harry's arm as he concentrated on breathing. 'You did fine in the rehearsal. It's going to be okay.'

'Are you going to kiss him in the ceremony?'

'Ron!'

'What? They didn't in the rehearsal!' It was obvious that Ron hoped that he wasn't going to have to witness their first kiss.

'Of course, they are', she hissed. 'Harry, ignore him.'

'I don't know why I'm so nervous…'

'You've always hated public events. It's not that surprising, really.' Hermione answered. 'Just remember that all the people here are your friends and family.'

'Or going to be your family', Ron added.

'You are not helping', Hermione mouthed at Ron.

'Really, mate, I'm not sure why you're so nervous either… What I'd be afraid of is what happens after you leave the reception tonight.'

'Maybe that is what I'm afraid of', Harry said under his breathe still confused as to why he can't get his heart to stop beating so fast.

'There's nothing you can do about that right now', Hermione insisted. 'You're just nervous because you hate lying and are about go out there and promise to cherish and love Draco Malfoy.' That forced a smile out of Harry and a gag from Ron.

'I'm getting married Hermione. What was I thinking?' Harry ran his hands trough his hair as he sat down on the chaise.

'You're asking us that now?' Ron snorted.

'You weren't thinking, and stop that. You're going to ruin your hair', Hermione pulled his hands away from his hair and started muttering spells at it, before pulling him back into the standing position and fixing his tie. 'Okay, now you're perfect, just don't touch anything.' Harry nodded.

'Is Ginny here?'

'No', Hermione said curtly. 'She's busy.'

'It's Friday night and almost seven o'clock…'

'Fine then. She didn't want to come.' There was a tap on the door, and an attendant informed them it was time to go. Hermione nodded towards the attendant and got Harry and Ron out the door. The place was beautiful, though Malfoy Manor always was. It was decorated with more candles than flowers, and though they were the only lighting, there were enough of them that it wasn't the least bit dark. They didn't do the traditional march down the aisle, as there was no bride. Instead, they both formed lines at the sides and came in walking straight towards each other. They also stayed away from the traditional gentlemen on one side and the ladies on the other. Ron was next to Harry and Hermione was next to Ron on his side, where Draco's was just the opposite with Pansy in between Blaise and Draco.

'Everyone may be seated', the bonding official declared. It was much like a traditional muggle wedding without the religious aspect of it. They were told what to say and repeated it word for word. They had practiced it once the night before, but Harry really didn't remember anything about it and was still taking cues from the official and Draco. Harry hadn't really paid attention to the words when they had said them the night before, but he had noticed that they were slightly different then what was said at Bill and Fleur's wedding. He noticed then, that not only did they promise to honor and obey each other, but also to love and trust each other as well, until they both died. Harry twitched when he heard Draco say the word love, and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to repeat the sentence himself. Draco and he were holding hands through the entire ceremony, and Draco squeezed his hand or thumbed the back of it when Harry started to stutter.

It hadn't seemed so final during the rehearsal or at any point up until he was there and actually saying his vows. He never turned around or looked anywhere but at Draco, afraid that if he did he would run out of the room. Draco never took his eyes off of Harry either, but he looked much calmer, in control and almost happy. Draco's expression never changed much at all, and Harry still didn't know him well enough to determine whether or not he was happy. He had the same serious look he always wore on his face when he wasn't sneering, but it seemed softer then as he slipped the ring on Harry's finger. Harry was still shaky, but he took Draco's ring confidently and slowly put it on the blond's finger. Then they were back to holding hands and listening to the bonding official.

'Now they kiss to seal the bond.' He nodded his head at them, and Harry froze once again. They didn't practice that part before just mentioned it in passing. Draco still had yet to kiss him.

Sensing Harry's hesitation Draco pulled him forward gently and leant in. 'Isn't this what you've been waiting for?' Draco mocked him with a small smirk, and then leant in the rest of the way to kiss him.

Harry felt Draco open his mouth and did the same, though neither of them introduced his tongue. Harry wasn't quite ready for that and it would have been highly inappropriate in front of all their guests. The fact that Draco opened his mouth at all surprised him, but not as much as the second and third kiss did. He expected it to be a quick peck on the lips, but it was so much better than that. Harry found that Draco was a very good kisser and that kissing a man wasn't all that different from kissing a girl.

'You can breathe now.'

'Yeah, right', Harry mumbled, and they turned to face their guests then walked down the aisle with their friends behind them.

* * *

'We really don't need all of that space', Harry insisted after they left one of the flats and they were on their way to the last one on their list: a house out in the country. 'And when we are no longer together what are we going to do with it anyway?'

'Didn't we already discuss how you're not supposed to treat this like it will end in two years?' Draco said lightly. 'And I am thinking about that. What do you think I'm being so particular about it? I figured when we were done with it we would donate it to some charity… I'll even let you pick which one.'

'What would a charity want a flat for?'

'They wouldn't… that's why I've been leaning more to the houses…'

'Okay, so what would a charity do with a house then?'

'I don't know, Harry. Turn it into an office or an orphanage or something.'

Harry had never really thought about that before. He was an orphan, but he hadn't grown up in an orphanage. The only one he had ever seen was in Dumbledore's memories, and it had been dark and cold. Suddenly Draco's complaints about there not being enough sunlight through the windows didn't seem to be so snobbish. The popped up outside the house on a massive lawn, and Harry could already see that the windows would not be a problem with that house.

'I like this… so far', Draco said as they walked up to the front door. As he looked through the house in mind with the idea that it might later become an orphanage, it became less tedious and more exciting. He didn't roll his eyes every time Draco mentioned the size, or if there was enough space. They could only use not even an eighth of the house, but it was the perfect size for twenty to thirty children. 'No complaints about it being too big?'

'No, I actually like it', Harry agreed. 'It's bright.'

'See, I told you windows are important.'

'Oh my, Harry this place is huge', Hermione said a few days later when she came with them when they closed the sale of the house. 'What are you going to put in it?'

'I have no idea', he shrugged. 'I was going to leave that up to Draco and his mother.'

'That's probably a good idea. When are you moving in?'

'When we get back from the 'honeymoon'.'

She spun around to face him, stunned. 'You're going on a honeymoon?'

'Why wouldn't we ?'

'What about your Auror training?'

Harry turned to the stairs and started climbing them to show Hermione the second floor.

'We're only going for the weekend', he explained. 'Monday morning everything will be back to normal or 'on schedule' as he put it.'

'So where are you going?'

'I have no idea', he said as he walked down the hallway. At the end of it Harry opened a set of double doors. 'I don't think he knows either.' The room they entered had a platform for a bed, and on the outside wall was a huge window with a massive window seat that stretched across it.

'Is this the master bedroom?' Hermione asked in awe. 'You seem excited about this…'

'Well, I sort of am now. About the house at least.'

'I never thought you'd like a big place like this.'

'Draco mentioned that we might turn it into an orphanage when we won't need it any longer.' Harry shrugged. 'And I figure it'd be an experience this next two years. You know seeing what it's like to live in his world.'

'Are you going to show him what it's like to live in yours?'

'I'm not sure that I can…' Harry said slightly confused as to what she meant. There was no way he was going to let Draco know about his childhood when he had never even really told his best friends about it. There was no way to show him that he really didn't need all the best things in live without taking them away, and they couldn't live in both a huge mansion and a small flat at the same time.

'Harry!' Draco called down the hallway before entering the suite. 'There you are. You have to sign the paperwork too.'

'I know, I was just showing Hermione…'

Draco strutted in and spun around in the middle of the room taking it all in again. 'It's a beautiful room.'

'I'd say so', Hermione agreed.

* * *

The reception was in yet another massive room of the Manor that was decorated to match the room they had the wedding in. Despite the very few people that were gathered, it was rather lovely, and people did dance and had fun. It wasn't until Harry noticed how the Weasleys vastly out numbered the Malfoys, that he realised Draco's mother, Blaise and Pansy were the only ones there for Draco. Didn't Draco have grandparents, or aunts, uncles and cousins? Well, he knew the blond had at least one aunt, but even she was there because of Harry. At least, he thought so. She had spent most of the night closer to Mrs. Malfoy then the Weasleys. He didn't bother mentioning any of that, or asking Draco about his family, but he noticed Draco watching his mother and aunt taking with a concerned looked.

'What's wrong?'

Draco shook his head. 'Nothing. I just wasn't sure how my mother was going to handle all of this.'

'She's been the calmest person in the room out of everyone?' Harry asked clearly perplexed as to what Draco thought he needed to worry about it.

'You don't know my mother very well', Draco commented lightly. 'They're talking.'

'They're sisters', Harry laughed at Draco's worried tone.

'Yes, but they're sisters who haven't even nodded towards each other in public, since before either of us were born.'

'Maybe this will turn out to be a good thing!'

Draco smirked at Harry, 'I'm sure it will. My mother could use family right now… It's just different.' They were sisters, and they should have been friends with each other, but Draco didn't want to be the only reason for it. He didn't want to force his mother to change so that he could get what he wanted.

~….~…~

And then there was Ginny.

'Hello, Harry!' She forced a smile.

'Ginny', he said much too excitedly for Draco, who stood quietly next to him. 'You came.'

'Apparently', Draco muttered under his breath.

'Sorry, I couldn't make it to the actual wedding. I'm sure it was lovely.' Though it was obvious she wasn't sorry and really didn't want to be there at all.

'It's okay. Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?' It had been six weeks, and Harry knew that she was going to need sometime to cool off, but she didn't actually say 'goodbye' to him when she had left. He just needed to know that they were okay, or better than okay; they were okay before. He wanted to know they were good again.

'No, I'm not mad at you. I know you aren't doing this to hurt me.' Ginny sighed, 'And I've made my peace with it, though I think you're still to thick to realise what you're doing', she said the last part more to herself. He responded with a confused glare, but before he could question her she spoke again. 'We're still friends, Harry. I've done a lot of thinking these last few weeks, and I know that you will always be a part of my family.'

'Well, isn't that wonderful', Draco drawled. 'But, Harry, we have other guests to attend to.' Draco grabbed Harry's hand and led him away. He cursed under his breath as he realised that the only other people were also Weasleys, and so, he settled on Hermione and Ron. Ginny had rolled her eyes and followed them, since she was related to everyone there, and they would rather talk to her than to Malfoy anyway. Oblivious to all of that and happy that things seemed to go back to normal, he just chatted with his friends like it was any other day and not his wedding with someone other than Ginny. Harry was finally relaxing himself for the first time all day, when he noticed Hermione giving him a stern look. It was one of her looks that told him he was doing something wrong and he needed to fix it right away. His greatest problem with those looks was that he never knew what he was doing wrong. Once Hermione saw that she did indeed have Harry's attention, she tilted her head ever so slightly towards the dance floor. He caught her drift immediately, rolled his eyes and then subconsciously started to turn towards Ginny. Hermione lost all subtlety then with a loud cough. No one, even in their small group, seemed to notice their silent exchange and gave her strange looks at her outburst except Ron whom seemed to think she was choking and patting her back would somehow help that.

Instantly, Harry was nervous again. How was he supposed to ask Draco to dance? Was he even the one that was supposed to ask, or was Draco? Or would someone jump out and announce it for them? Wasn't there supposed to be someone that coordinated the 'official' dancing at weddings? Harry glanced back and forth between Draco and the dance floor a few times before he even attempted to make a sound.

'Uh, um…' Then continued the back and forth movement, while his sounds failed to turn into words. Luckily, it didn't take Draco much to gather what his husband was thinking as it was written all over him, like always. The blond smirked, laced his finger's threw Harry's and pulled him to the dance floor. Harry couldn't decide whether he was more pleased or frightened that the song was a slow one. He couldn't really dance at all, so slow would generally be a good thing. He didn't have to move his feet much and just had to sway back and forth. The problem was that he had to sway back and forth rather closely to his dance partner, in that case, Draco. He wasn't surprised in the least that Draco took the lead, and made no attempt to reverse the roles.

'So', Draco began to tease. Harry scoffed as he waited for the belittling comments about his lack of coordination to start with. 'Was it everything you thought it would be?'

'What?'

'Our first kiss', Draco reminded him. 'I know you were looking forward to it.' Yes, of course, that again. Draco would never let him live it down that he asked about that. Really, he should have expected it Draco's insults had always been rather redundant.

'Let's not forget who the fairy is here.' Draco glared and Harry bit the inside of his cheek. 'Shit, I'm sorry.'

'Let me guess, ' you didn't really mean that',' Draco mocked.

'No, I really didn't.' Harry shook his head in attempt to release the tension in his shoulders. 'I don't know why you make me say things like that.'

'I make you?'

'No one else gets to me like you do', Harry admitted.

Draco smirked, or maybe it was supposed to be a smile. 'I'll take that as a complement.'

Harry actually laughed at that.

'You would take that as a complement.'

'I can get to you in ways that your 'little girlfriend' can't? How am I not supposed to take that as a complement?' Draco's tone was scathing when he referred to the 'little girlfriend' yet instantly became teasing again at the following sentence. Harry's forehead wrinkled in confusion, as he took in the blond's angry tone from just the mention of Ginny. Draco's mentioned her for that matter. Harry wasn't the one to bring her up.

'What do you have against Ginny?'

'Her presence seems to confuse you on who you're married to.'

Harry laughed. 'This is a bet Malfoy.'

'That's not the point', Draco hissed.

'Okay then, what's the point?'

'It's about respect. She is your ex, and I am your spouse, and you should show me a little respect. You shouldn't look at her through the whole evening, and you should be kissing me instead of apologizing to her.' Harry stopped moving and stared at Draco stunned at the anger he had apparently been holding back all night. He really hadn't thought anything of it, nor did he think that Draco cared. Though he wasn't as surprised that the blond was ranting about respect of all things, instead of feelings. He was always easily insulted if people didn't appear to respect him. 'It looks bad when you make it so clear that you don't really want to be here with me. Do you think everyone in an arranged marriage is happy about it? No, of course they aren't. They're arranged, but they don't disrespect their spouse by drooling or mooning over their ex's the whole time.' Harry didn't try to apologize. He would have failed at it anyway. He decided to do what Draco told him he should have been doing and kissed him. It startled Draco for a moment, but it helped his anger disappear quickly. Draco didn't hesitate to introduce tongue in the kiss as he had before.

'Are you sure this is appropriate here?' Harry pulled back to ask.

'It's our wedding! Where could it possibly be more appropriate?'


	6. The Honeymoon

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: tavia_d

* * *

'I'm exhausted', Harry said as he sat on the bed after they arrived at their honeymoon location. 'Where are we?'

'I'm not sure.' Draco walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains. They covered a door that lead to a balcony that he opened and walked out on to. Harry stood and followed him out side to see where Draco's mother had sent them for the weekend. 'New York City… they say there is something for everyone here.' He glanced at Harry who looked puzzled. 'What?'

'I guess I expected someplace… romantic.'

'I'd imagine that New York can be romantic.' Draco looked over the city and then moved to take Harry's hand, but stopped short. 'You were expecting something exotic like Italy or France? Some place lovers go?' He laughed. 'We're not lovers. Don't you think we'd get bored there?'

'You said that your mother loved France.'

'My mother has a lover', he pointed out.

'What? Who?' Harry asked. Draco's mother never left or had visitors, and he never thought of her as someone who would fool around on the side of her marriage.

Draco rolled his eyes. 'My father.' He turned and walked back inside once again followed by his spouse. It caught Harry of guard, not that her lover would be Draco's father, which made perfect sense, and he felt like an idiot for asking, but Draco referring to him as though he was just at home and not locked up. He was normally very aware of his father's absence, though the black-haired boy tried not to mention it. 'I'm going to take a shower.'

After the blond finished his shower Harry took one as well. It had been a long day and the hot water helped him relax, though not enough to forget what was waiting for him outside the bathroom. He took much longer than he normally did and even combed his hair before leaving the bathroom, not that it did any good. Draco lay on his side in the bed facing outwards, so he climbed in behind him. Harry always wore only his pants to bed, since he no longer shared a room with four other boys and didn't own anything else any longer. However, Draco was wearing silk pyjamas, and Harry would have laughed about that except he was too nervous so it would have seemed forced. The blond didn't move, but Harry was sure that he knew he was there. He lay behind Draco in a position that would have been spooning had they been touching and slowly reached out to touch Draco's shoulder.

'We don't have to do anything', Draco said before Harry's hand made contact. 'I wasn't going to force any girl I married to do it until she felt comfortable, and I don't plan to do it to you either.'

'You wouldn't have really wanted to with any girl anyway', Harry laughed, 'and I somehow doubt any girl would be saying no to you.'

'Whether or not someone is attracted to me has no bearing on if they are ready to have sex yet, and being gay doesn't mean I'd want to with any guy either.' Draco rolled over and propped himself up on his left arm as he glared at Harry.

'You'd made it seem…' but Draco cut him off.

'I was just trying to get a ris… irritate you. I was attempting to call your bluff. I didn't really think you were going to agree to this.'

'I thought it was expected.'

'It's expected that couples eventually have children, not that they start trying on their wedding night.'

'Right, but we're never going to have children. We couldn't even if we wanted to. So, what? We have no reason to have sex?'

Draco groaned and buried his head into his pillow while he mumbled something.

'What?' Harry asked irritated.

'You are so depressingly muggle', Draco repeated louder.

'What? It's biologically impossible for two men to have babies.'

'Yes, but we have magic. We can turn into other people, and we have wizards and witches that can change into animals, even ones as small as cats or beetles. We can age ourselves or make ourselves look young forever.' Draco sighed, 'You really think that we haven't discovered something as simple as a gender changing potion? Especially when we already have polyjuice and gender isn't an issue with that?'

'But, polyjuice potion only lasts an hour.'

'It only takes about an hour to conceive a baby.' Harry looked even more horrified at that. Wouldn't the baby die after the man changed back? 'Do we really need to discuss about having children on our first night of marriage? How about I'll explain it if it ever comes up, and if not, you can ask Grander about it', Draco opted.

Harry nodded and tried to think of anything else except men having babies. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

'What do you look like as a girl?'

'What makes you think I know?'

Harry shrugged. 'You knew about the potion. I thought there might have been a reason for it.'

'There is a reason.' Harry tried, yet failed, to contain his excitement at that statement, but Draco smirked which was always a bad sign. 'I paid attention in class.' Harry rolled his eyes and then relaxed against the headboard, as he thought about the possibilities of the potion and was startled when Draco spoke again. 'I look a lot like my mother when she was younger, except you can tell that it's me and not her.' Draco snorted, 'You know like most children resemble their parents, but are just not quite the same.' Before Harry could ask why, Draco continued, 'I was questioning my sexuality at the time and knowing how dangerous it is to be me, I wasn't about to go roaming around gay wizards' clubs asking to get hurt. Plus, I didn't want to embarrass my family anymore than they already were, especially if I decided that I really didn't like men after all.' Harry nodded to let Draco know that he was listening, or rather that he understood. 'So, I took the potion and roamed around straight pubs instead. And before you ask, 'no' I've never ran into you in any of them.'

Harry wasn't going to ask; he hardly ever went out at all, and if he did, he went with Ginny.

'Did you have sex with them?'

'As a girl?' Draco asked scandalized at the accusation. 'Merlin! No! I did enough to realize that I do like men and stopped it there.'

'How far was that?' Draco glared at him. 'What? I'm not allowed to ask my spouse how far he's gone with how many people? I'll tell you.'

'Like it's any surprise. You've gone all the way with one person and probably only ever kissed just her as well', Draco smirked. 'Well, until recently.'

'Ginny's not the only girl I've ever kissed', Harry blushed. 'Pretty much, but not the only girl. Cho and I snogged.' Draco smirked, and Harry rolled his eyes. 'And… actually. I haven't had sex with Ginny.' Draco looked up in actual surprise at that. 'What?'

'Nothing I just assumed that, you two had been together so long.'

'Yes, and we probably would have, but we haven't really had the chance.' Draco looked at him in disbelief. 'In school we were busy, and I never felt comfortable doing things like that at the Burrow with her parents so close all the time.' Harry waved Draco on. 'So are you going to tell me?'

'Fine', he huffed. 'Since you were so honest, and I already told you my biggest secret anyway.'

'Potioning into a girl is your biggest secret?'

'Well… second biggest secret. From you anyway.' The green-eyed boy raised his eyebrows at that. Draco had a bigger secret than that, and Harry knew more about him then most apparently. 'Besides this really isn't that big of a secret being that my father is who my father is.' That confused Harry. 'It's all about tradition, and my father has never been a very trusting man, you see. Nor has he ever been against using dark spells.'

'Draco, what are you talking about?'

The blond sighed and rubbed his forehead.

'Even if I had wanted to go farther with any of those guys I wouldn't have been able to. Having sex before marriage would tarnish my family's reputation, so before I was even old enough to know what sex was, my father had me do a spell with him. It's sort of like the unbreakable vow, except I wouldn't have died. It just made it that I couldn't have sex before I was married, even if I tried.'

'How did it stop you?' Harry was disturbed by the entire idea, but he was picturing Draco wriggling in pain or having his dick suddenly fall off. Though if he was a girl at the time that couldn't have happened.

'It's actually kind of silly.'

'Silly?'

Draco sat up and leant against the headboard next to Harry.

'Well, you've heard of a chastity belt right?'

'Yes…' though with what he heard of them, they seemed rather disgusting, and he hoped that no one had ever had to actually endure one.

'I think that it was supposed to be a play of words or rather this was what a real chastity belt was, and it got misinterpreted through the years. See, with magic you can make it that specific conditions have to be met for anything to happen. So, if I was in the room with anyone I couldn't get my belt off. If I wasn't wearing a belt then I just couldn't remove my pants and so on…'

'What?'

'I told you it was silly.'

'So when did you find about it?'

'First year at Hogwarts. I've always had to shower alone. You have no idea what a difficult thing that is to accomplish until you have to. I had to wake up at four o'clock in the morning and lock the door behind me.'

Harry started to laugh.

'Why? What would happen?'

'If someone walked into the same room with me, even if they couldn't see me, mind you, clothes would suddenly appear on my body. I thought Crabbe and Golye would never stop laughing when I walked into the dorm in soaking wet clothes that first time. Of course, then I couldn't even change out of them, until I got everyone else out of the dorm.' Harry was laughing to the point that his sides hurt just picturing the blond sopping wet and all his dorm mates laughing at him. He would've loved to be there at the time. 'I'm glad this is so amusing to you', Draco drawled clearly not appreciating Harry's reaction.

'Wait, you said first time? It happened more than once?'

'I was a first year', Draco shrieked. 'Do you really think seventh years couldn't get past my locking charms?' Harry calmed down a bit as Draco's face became sourer. He didn't want to actually upset the blond.

'So, I guess it really isn't much of a secret that you're a virgin then.'

'No, not really.'

'Is that why Pansy is so pissed that you married me?'

Draco smirked.

'I'm sure that there are a lot of reasons, but that didn't help it. After all, she was my most devoted researcher on how to get past it.'

Harry bit his lip and reached over to start unbuttoning Draco's nightshirt.

'So, if I was to get you naked, then I'd be the first person that ever got to see it?'

Draco's breath hitched. 'Since puberty: Yes.' Harry continued with the buttons, but then suddenly stilled.

'I'm not the only one that you'll ever be allowed to…' He couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

'No! My father was a stickler for rules not a sadist.' Harry gave him a look asking 'are you sure?' 'It was only until I got married. After a legal divorce it won't matter anymore.'

Harry nodded and continued with the last couple of buttons as he thought about what Draco had just said.

'After a divorce. Does that mean you can't cheat on me?' Draco turned a bit pink and looked away. 'You can't, can you?'

'Why do you think Ginny bothers me so much? It's really important to me that you don't cheat on me', Draco explained. 'If we could agree to have an open relationship that would be one thing, but I can't make an agreement like that.'

Harry smiled knowingly at Draco.

'I knew you had to have some sort of alternative motive for all this.'

'What? Beating you at something isn't enough?' Draco mocked.

'No, I'm sure it would have been, but this fixes all your problems doesn't it? After we get divorced, then you don't have to worry about some stupid curse that is forcing you to be faithful to someone you don't have any interest in. You can marry some pureblooded witch that your parents pick for you, and then agree with her to live 'separate discreet' lives. And that'd leave you free to be gay with who ever you want.' Harry was astonished at Draco's perfect little plan. Either way he would win, which seemed just like the type of thing the blond would do.

'You just had me all figured out didn't you?' Draco leant in closer to Harry.

'I had you figured out years ago', Harry said smugly, before he kissed him and slid off Draco's shirt. Draco, once again, pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth first. The blond slid down the headboard and onto his back in the middle of the bed as his spouse slowly shifted on top of him. Draco dragged his hand across the light stubble that had grown over Harry's face through the day. Darker-haired men always grew facial hair faster than he did, which was one thing that Draco loved about them. Harry moaned above him, and when he shifted, he could feel the black-haired boy growing hard against him. So he turned to press himself against Harry, who then suddenly stilled. In the mist of teasing and snogging Harry'd forgotten whom he'd been kissing. Or rather he hadn't forgotten that it was Draco; he'd forgotten that the blond was also a man, and therefore, he should have expected that, but it startled him. Harry pulled back, and Draco groaned in disappointment.

'I'm sorry.'

Draco shook his head at the apology.

'It's alright. I'm used to stop about here.' Harry started to apologize again, but his blond spouse placed his hand over his mouth. 'Harry, I don't want you to do this, unless you're comfortable with it. Alright?' He nodded and pulled himself off of Draco to lie beside him. He kept his arm wrapped around Draco's waist as they both attempted the impossible task of sleeping, while still half hard. The rest of the night was torture for both of them, but neither of them moved no matter how much they wanted to, and eventually the exhaustion of the day brought them sleep.

When Harry woke up the next morning, Malfoy was already up and had ordered them breakfast to share in their room.

'American food is barmy.'

'It's not that different', Harry responded. He suspected that Malfoy just needed to always be complaining about something. 'I like bacon, and what's wrong with muffins?' Malfoy snorted.

'They sent coffee. I had to ask for tea, and that was all flavoured.' Malfoy huffed as he continued to make his tea. 'They hadn't realised they were out of Earl Grey until I pointed it out to them. It just got here. The food is probably cold now.' Harry rolled his eyes at Malfoy's indignant expression and picked up a piece of bacon. Malfoy cast a warming charm on his food before he even attempted to taste it.

Naturally Harry had assumed that Malfoy's mother had planned out everything they would be doing for the weekend. It turned out that she only planned their evenings. She had made dinner reservations at two of the most expensive restaurants in town and had bought tickets for a show on Broadway that night. Everything else was up to them, though maybe she had expected them to sleep until the afternoon and therefore, didn't need plans until the evening. New York was the city that never sleeps, from what he'd heard of it.

Even though he thought Malfoy would never agree to it, he wanted to go to Central Park. To his surprise, Malfoy didn't make a fuss and agreed, saying he was 'thankful Harry hadn't wanted to explore the museums'. Apparently, his mother loved museums and would take him through them constantly when he was younger. He didn't care if it was a different museum; he didn't want to go. So, in the afternoon they walked through the park and watched the people.

'I suppose it is nice', Malfoy commented.

'What is?'

'Being anonymous', he answered as though it was completely obvious what he was referring to.

Harry smiled and nodded his agreement. He loved being anonymous. It was rare for him, and he guessed it was for Malfoy as well. Malfoy had always wanted all the attention he could get before. Harry could see how his feelings would change after so many years of the attention being negative. So, they walked through the park in silence, enjoying the peace around them and the lack of people starring at them. Well, occasionally someone would stare at Malfoy, but it wasn't the judgmental stare that Harry usually saw on by passers' faces when they looked at him. He was used to people staring at him in awe, or nodding him thank you, or giving him random handshakes.

This was completely different. No one noticed him next to Malfoy. Also, the only people that took any notice of Malfoy, were obviously more interested in what he looked like without any clothes than what his name was. Harry had never been very possessive. He felt that for relationships to work, you had to trust each other. Maybe no one ever dared to check out Ginny in front of him because of who he was, or he never noticed because he knew she would never cheat on him. Though, Malfoy was incapable of actually cheating on him, Harry could see the interest in his eyes when an attractive man would check him out. He had to resist the urge to grab Malfoy's hand and glare down the more attractive competition. Harry pondered whether the men could just tell that Harry wasn't gay and therefore, assumed Malfoy was single, or if they just simply didn't care that Harry was there. The women didn't bother him that much.

* * *

They walked to the restaurant that they had reservations at that evening, and it was quite possibly the nicest one Harry had ever entered. He'd taken Ginny to plenty of fine restaurants, but he always felt more at ease at home. It wasn't any better with Malfoy. He felt out of place not only in his surroundings, but also in his attire and company. It didn't help that he didn't understand half of the menu, and their waiter turned out to be bent himself. Which became the waiter talking exclusively to Malfoy, ignoring him, and Malfoy ordering for Harry. If the food turned out to be edible at all Harry would be grateful to Malfoy for at least that. He wouldn't have been able to take the condescending look he was sure to get from the waiter, if he had attempted to order anything of the menu.

'I'm sorry', Harry said as he calmed himself down once the waiter left. Malfoy looked up at him perplexed. Then Harry slowly reached across the table to take Malfoy's hand, which only confused him more, but the blonde allowed it. He wasn't about to push Harry away. 'For the thing with Ginny at our reception', Harry clarified.

'Why?'

'I could overlook the guys at the park, but here we are obviously together.' Harry glared at the back of their waiter as he helped other customers. Malfoy kept his face still as he took in what Harry was saying. 'I understand what you meant about 'respect' now.'

'I've never thought of you as the jealous type.'

'I'm not. It is rather insulting when you are obviously with someone and people just dismiss you as though you aren't there. Like I'm not a threat at all, and they could just slip you a note to meet them in the loo.'

'And what would you do if they did?' Harry didn't have an answer that, as they were interrupted by the waiter before he could think of one. From that moment on, Malfoy made sure to be touching Harry in one way or another throughout the rest of the meal. Afterwards, they ended for the show. Harry had never been to any theatre before and was surprised how much he actually enjoyed it. Malfoy seemed bored, but Malfoy always seemed bored. When Harry asked him about it, he assured him he did enjoy the show.

'Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve.'

'It's hard to believe you have any emotions sometimes', Harry mocked, then added, 'well, other than anger. I thought that was the only thing you could feel other than contempt, when we were in school.' Malfoy rolled his eyes and suppressed a snort at that.

'I was rather angry with you in school.'

'Only me?'

'How do you know that I wasn't perfectly pleasant when you weren't around?' Harry blushed and looked off to the side avoiding Malfoy's gaze, but kept in step with Malfoy. 'Oh, how could I forget? How often did you stalk me then?' Malfoy smirked, but continued, leaving the questions rhetorical. 'You should know I wasn't always angry then.' Harry smiled at that.

'Like I said, contempt.' They kept silent for a few minutes as they walked down the street. It was cool enough for coats, but not so cold that it would bother him. It was just the beginning of fall, and the type of weather that Harry liked the best. Yet, Malfoy wrapped his coat tighter around himself as he crossed his arms as though he had just caught a chill. 'I know that it's impossible for anyone to only feel two emotions. In fact, you know, I've seen more than that. It's just what I'm most familiar with when it comes to you.'

Malfoy stopped walking and opened his mouth, as though he was going to say something, but then decided not to. He shook his head and then nodded in the opposite direction of their hotel.

'Would you like to get ice cream? Unless, you really feel like getting back.' Harry smiled. He wasn't really that tired, and they had skipped the idea of dessert at the restaurant earlier. The best thing about the city was that you could go get ice cream whenever you wanted. It was nearing two in the morning, and yet they could still sit inside a restaurant, near Times Square, and eat ice cream. When he would sneak out of his aunt's house in Surrey everything seemed so dead. All the neighbours asleep, it was rather peaceful. That all changed when you get to a city. There is always so much life, even after dark, in them. They got back in too late for them to even bother with a bed time routine or conversation. Then they slept in until past noon the next day. Harry thought it wasn't that bad of a honeymoon really. Though not how he had imagined it. He'd imagined a honeymoon to be filled with sex and not include many activities outside of that, not even dinner. Though he never imagined one with Malfoy either, so he was thankful for the other activities that took up their time. It did give them a chance to be alone together as a couple before they had to deal with everyone and everything else in their life as a couple. That was the whole point of a honeymoon anyway, right?

* * *

'Alright, mate?' Ron asked as he approached Harry in the training room.

'Never better', Harry answered honestly.

'Really?' Ron seemed surprised by his answer. 'How was the honeymoon?'

'Great.'

'What?' Harry smiled, but didn't elaborate. 'What did you do?' Ron turned red and sputtered, 'I mean... where did you go?'

'We went to New York.' A classmate named Jones joined them, before Ron could ask another question.

'Hey Harry. Can you believe what...' Ron started waving his arms beside Harry in a not so subtle gesture for Jones not to continue that train of thought. 'Err...what they are having us do for training?' Jones finished lamely obviously perplexed and not used to coming up with lies quickly.

'What's going on? What's wrong?' Harry directed the question at Ron.

'Nothing', Ron said quickly. 'Why would anything be wrong?' Harry turned back to Jones, who shrugged his shoulders and noticed 'The Daily Prophet' in his hand.

'Jones, do you mind?' Harry gestured towards the paper. 'I didn't get mine this morning. I must not have notified them that I've moved.' Harry gave Ron a questioning look that didn't deter him from jumping in front of Harry, and stopping Jones from handing over the paper.

'Why would you want to read that Harry?' Ron gently tried to guide him in the opposite direction. 'It's always filled with lies anyway. You should really cancel your subscription. In fact, I will too. Just as soon as I get home today. Really horrible reporters. They have no idea what news is.' The more Ron went on the more nervous Harry got. What had they written about him now? He had to see that paper. 'Besides, you don't have time for that now.' Ron pointed out as Harry tried to get past him to Jones and the newspaper. 'Training is about to start.'

Sure enough, their instructor had just walked through the door. The paper would have to wait. It was all he could think about that day. What did it say? Did everyone in that room know about it except him? Probably. No one was looking at him with disgust. So, either it wasn't about his recent marriage, or same sex marriage isn't that big of a deal in their world. He wasn't sure what he was hoping for. Was what they wrote that much worse than the truth? Since no one was treating him any different, it couldn't be that bad.

He could tell that Ron hoped he'd forgotten about it during their training. It had been a long day, but people 'knew' things about him that he didn't. He had to know. Jones was long gone as soon as the day ended. Still there had to be a newspaper around somewhere. Ron got him out of the ministry and to a pub in record time. They normally hung around and talked for a while before they headed out. He had either forgotten or hoped to get Harry to drink enough, so that he forgot that the pub sells copies of the newspaper.

As Ron got them pints, Harry found what he was looking for. Of course, it was on the front page. Everything to do with him did. He didn't even have to read the paper, the pictures said it all. He read every word anyway. Ginny was wrapped around some bloke in a collage of pictures. He was a teammate and there were even pictures of them practicing together. He wasn't mentioned in the article once. There was not one scathing comment about him, and he wasn't even mentioned as her ex. Though, as far as anyone knew, he was still with her.

'Mate?' Ron asked with concern in his voice, as Harry starred silently and a bit in shock at the paper.

'They didn't mention me?'

'Did you want them to mention you?' Ron almost laughed in confusion at Harry's response, glad that he wasn't breaking down crying or angrily shooting off spells.

'NO! Of course, not.' Ah, there was the anger. 'I just can't believe Rita didn't use this against me.'

'Malfoy did say he'd keep you out of the papers. Isn't that why you did that barmy interview for?'

'Yes, but he said he'd keep 'us' out of the paper, not 'me'.' Harry looked over the pictures again. He had expected this. Forseen it even when Ginny proposed they 'take a break'. It was why he fought with her so profusely about how they should stay together. They'd only fool around when they got 'lonely' she said. But how'd she get 'lonely' so quickly? He kept telling himself it would have happened anyway or eventually no matter what he did. Yet there was also the feeling that she might not have so quickly if he hadn't married Malfoy. 'I need a drink.' Ron gestured towards the pint he had already set in front of Harry, but Harry shook his head at it. 'Something stronger.'

Hours later they stumbled out of the pub. They swayed back and forth a bit as they walked down the street. Ron didn't drink very much, but he still didn't trust himself to Apparate them home, especially as drunk as Harry was.

'You're the best mate. Mate', Harry slurred. 'I never should've dated your sister. How could I do that to you? Now I've put you in an uncomfer, uncomfort...able situ... situation.'

'You've put me in a lot of uncomfortable situations before', Ron chuckled.

'Yea', Harry laughed as well, 'but this is differ.. different. This is your family. I mean... how? I expected you to be more upset about what I did. You wanted to kill Dean just because he dated her. Yet with me, you just shrugged it off. You trusted me not to hurt her. Then I did.'

'You're looking a bit worse off then she is.' Ron sighed. 'Okay. Well at the time I figured that I knew you, and I knew you would never hurt her. You would never hurt anybody. She'd liked you forever, and I knew she'd be happy with you.' They'd finally gotten to the closest floo and stopped. 'Now, well, I've grown up. I know that it's never just one person's fault when things fail. Besides, you're the one hurting here, not her.' Ron grabbed a handful of floo powder. 'Are you going home, or do you want to stay with us tonight?'

'I don't think I should wake Malfoy up. I'll just sleep on your couch.'


	7. The Public Apperence

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: tavia_d

* * *

'Where the bloody hell have you been?' Early the next morning Harry was greeted with Malfoy's stern voice. Harry had just flooed into their den and found Malfoy sitting with his head in his hands on their leather couch. With that statement, Malfoy had looked up at him with a glare that could rival any he'd seen on the man's face before. Harry was tired, hung-over and not in the mood.

'What? I have to let you know where I go every second of the day?'

'Did it ever occur to you that I might be worried about you?' Harry gave a dry laugh.

'Don't pretend that you care about me.'

'It's the day after our honeymoon! You didn't even talk to me in the morning, and then you never came home. You could have been anywhere.' Harry looked back at him slightly surprised that he was still going on about it. He didn't really care about Harry, what did it matter? 'You could've been attacked, or gotten drunk and spliched yourself. Or you might be arrested for attacking that Mark fellow.'

'Who's Mark?'

'The guy the ginger bit is shagging now.' Malfoy said absently before he continued to rant at Harry, except Harry interrupted him.

'Oh, that's what you're really worried about isn't it? That'd I go back to Ginny!'

'I have every right to worry about that. I'm your spouse.' Harry turned back to the floo. 'You can't leave or you lose the bet.' Harry stopped and turned back to face him.

'This is obviously not working.'

'You think that after the first fight couples just get to file for divorce? Or did you forget that divorce isn't an option? It doesn't matter that I'll never meet my wife before we get married. I can't divorce her. She can't leave, and neither can I. We have to figure a way to work it out. So, if you leave, then you lose.'

'I've already lost. You read the paper.'

'That would have happened anyway, and you know it, so don't blame that on this.'

'Well, that means you were right then. We weren't right for each other, or it was all lust and whatever else you said. Therefore, why continue this?'

'I also said that I'd be better for you. You still don't believe that. And that we'll learn to love each other through this marriage, but you still don't believe that either.' Harry faced the floo again and prepared to leave. Draco opened to protest, but Harry spoke first.

'I'm not leaving. I'm just going to work.'

'And after work?'

'I'll come home tonight.'

* * *

'There's a ministry function that I have to go to next weekend.' Harry said as he was getting into bed a few weeks later.

'Oh.'

'You said you should go anywhere I would have taken Ginny.' Malfoy nodded. 'But if you come with me in public, it'll start rumours. So, I figured I'd go alone.' Malfoy thought for a long time, before he spoke.

'No, I'll go with.'

'What? Really?'

'Part of a your spouse's job is to help you get through these affairs. How can I do that if I'm not there?'

'But...'

'Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything.' Harry laughed.

'How much money do you spend shutting people up. There are going to be hundreds of people there.' Malfoy smirked.

'Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it.'

~.~.~

'Mother, do you remember that dress you had made for the banquet you never went to when I was thirteen?' Narcissa raised an eyebrow at him. It was times like this that she knew without a doubt that her son was gay. She barely remembered the dress. Though she did remember having the flu, which made it where she wasn't able to attend the banquet. 'I was wondering if I could borrow it, and maybe have it altered a bit.'

'Of course, darling. Who do you need it for?'

'Harry has to go to a function for the Ministry. A celebration of two years at peace, or something like that.' He deliberately avoided the question, which gave her the answer. Draco wasn't as good at hiding things from her, as he thought he was. She took a breath and then a sip of her tea, before she calmly clasped her hands together in her lap.

'Are you sure that's wise?' To her surprised, he smirked at her.

'I'm married now mother. You aren't supposed to tell me what to do anymore.' Draco walked around to the chair opposite his mother's, with the small round end table separating them, and sat down.

'I'm not telling you anything. I'm merely suggesting that you might not get what you really want out of this.' He didn't agree nor disagree with her, which was disagreement enough for her. Had he agreed with her, or at least pretended to, he would have said so. 'If this does goad him into acting, would it really be worth it? You can't be her forever. You don't want that.'

'I want him.'

'I thought we had been through this the last time I caught you with that potion', she said more to herself than him.

'That was different', he insisted.

'How?'

'Those were strangers and you were right it was dangerous. I had no way to protect myself from them. I could've gotten hurt.' She hadn't meant that he would only get physically hurt. It was more the emotional damage that she was afraid of, both then and now. He was always like that, even as a child. Almost as if he was trying to hurt himself. When he knew his father would never take him to the ministry, he would still ask to go. After it was clear that he wasn't going to make it to their planned Quidditch time, he would still sit outside and wait for him for hours. Lucius thought that playing instruments was for the poor, except the piano which was for women. So, naturally the only instrument in the house was a piano, and Draco taught himself to play at a very young age. He said it was because he enjoyed it, but Narcissa thought it was his way of rebelling. Or maybe he played as punishment for his father's broken promises. He always seemed to play after Lucius didn't show up when he was supposed to.

When she had first found the remains of the potion when Draco was fifteen, she wasn't sure if it was like the piano or something more. Though, in retrospect maybe they were the same, and the piano had always been something more. Perhaps he really did just enjoy playing.

'I don't want you to get hurt. It's a mother thing.'

'I won't', he assured her. She didn't feel very reassured though. She felt that he already had been hurt too much for her to ever fix, and he would just continue to hurt himself over and over again.

'Leila', Narcissa called.

'Yes mistress.' A young house elf popped out of nowhere to reply.

'Could you get the dress that Draco described earlier? You do know where it is?'

'Of course mistress.'

'I'd say be careful with it, except, I doubt I'll ever need it back.' Draco smiled at her and raised to kiss her on the cheek. Leila return and handed the dress over to Draco.

'I'm sure you'll have many reasons to dress up soon.'

'Since when do I need a reason?' She joked as she gestured down to the dress she wore then. She always dressed as though she was on her way to a ball when she was just wondering around the house with nothing to do. 'When you're old and rich, you're allowed to be eccentric. I merely meant that I have enough dresses. I'm not going to miss one. Especially one that I've never bothered to wear. It's too reveling for someone my age anyway.'

'And how exactly are you bringing Malfoy with you and keeping your marriage secret?' Hermione inquired. She hadn't even pretended to be listening to the conversation that he was having with Ron prior to that statement. It was a bit scary how she was able to be engrossed in a book, or three, and still be conscious of everything going on around her. 'I mean, even if Rita is being good in hopes to get more articles out of you, there will still be hundreds of people there who will see you.'

'Just because Malfoy happens to be there doesn't mean that he came with Harry. No one would know that', Ron said.

'No, but they would notice if they spend a lot of time together throughout the evening. If Malfoy doesn't plan to stand with Harry all evening, I really don't see the point of him going. He isn't well liked, and most of the people there won't receive him well.'

'I don't know. He said he'd take care of it.' It was all Harry could think to say. Malfoy wouldn't give him any other answer, and he'd asked repeatedly, until Malfoy was so annoyed that he almost hexed him. 'Look, everyone that matters to me already knows. I'm not really that worried about strangers finding out anyway. He is the one who seems to think it's important now. As long as the ministry doesn't try to use it for a campaign against me.'

'Which is highly unlikely now', Ron piped in.

'Right', Harry laughed then continued 'then I don't really see what the big deal is about.' Hermione shrugged.

'I never saw what the 'big deal' was about before, but you kept saying that it had to be a secret, and we weren't allowed to tell anybody or say anything.'

'Before, I didn't want to hurt Ginny by having to see it all the time. Now, I hardly think it matters.' Hermione rolled her eyes. 'What?'

'You didn't really expect her to sit around for two years while you were married to someone else, did you?' Harry started to say that he wasn't really married, and it was just a bet, but Hermione didn't pause. 'Especially since she broke up with you, before she left, for that very reason. She wanted you both to date other people. She said that you two will get back together in two years when she comes back. That's what you said would happen after this bet ends. She might not even be serious about this Mark fellow. It's probably just a fling.'

'She still hasn't written to me', Harry insisted. If it was just a fling, why was she still avoiding him?

'Have you written to her?' Harry glared at the ground, but didn't answer. 'Well, then I hardly think you're the one to talk. Also, it's not like you're alone. You've got Malfoy, and quit acting like you've never touched.'

'We haven't done anything.' Harry insisted, and for the most part, it was true. They hadn't done anything since the honeymoon, and then, they didn't get very far. He didn't know how to do anything more with Malfoy. They were finally starting to get comfortable in each other's presence, but not in the same way he was comfortable with Ginny. With Ginny, he could just walk up and put his arms around her or kiss her. Though, he didn't have to, because most of the time she did it.

He was used to Malfoy's presence when he was at home and even in his bed. Not enough to reach out and touch him, but enough that it would have felt weird if he wasn't there. He had grown used to hearing Malfoy get up and shower and move around the room, while he was still half asleep and laying in bed. Malfoy was always completely ready to walk out the floo before he sat down for breakfast. Harry always ate first before he showered and dressed to leave. It helped him wake up. It worked out well, because then they both ate breakfast together. Malfoy always read every inch of the newspaper, every morning. Harry only skimmed through it, so he spent most of the breakfast time watching Malfoy read. He'd tried to get Malfoy to talk about what he was reading, but that seemed just to irritate him. It wasn't the same though. He wasn't in love with Malfoy, and Harry didn't care what Hermione said. It looked like much more than a fling in the pictures.

Harry did not know what he had expected from Malfoy, but based on previous conversations, he really should have seen it coming. Ron and Hermione came by their house, so that they could all floo to the banquet together. Harry always felt more at ease when they were with him during public gatherings. He was used to having Hermione to fall back on when he got into sticky situations or didn't know what to say. She commented earlier that day, that it was Draco's responsibility. Harry didn't really like that idea.

Even if Harry had an idea of what Malfoy had planned, he still wouldn't have been prepared once he saw him walking down the stairs. Hermione was the first to notice. She stopped mid sentence as she starred up the stairs, as though she couldn't really believe what she was seeing. Ron, who noticed her silence, reacted in much the same way, except his jaw went slightly slack as well. Harry finally turned after he noticed the change in his friends' behaviour, but he didn't stop in surprise as they did. Though they had all figured out that it was Draco, Ron and Hermione were running through all the possible scenarios, as Harry already knew that it was the gender potion that Draco had told him about earlier.

No one could deny that all the Malfoys were attractive. Even those who hated them were aware of that. It was obvious that the girl walking down the stairs was a Malfoy. She was wearing a sliver, backless dress that reached the floor. It tied around her neck with a chain of what appeared to be diamonds. Had Ron and Hermione not been in shock, they might have been insulted by his extravagance. If Harry wasn't so impressed, he might have been as well. Though, it was hard for anyone to think of 'Draco Malfoy' when they were looking at the girl in front of them.

They weren't shocked because Draco was a beautiful girl. They were shocked because he was a girl. She looked just as he had described her to Harry. A younger version of Mrs. Malfoy with a pointier face that was obviously Malfoy. Malfoy smirked at the looks on all their faces and there was no doubt it was him.

'This isn't going to work', Harry said. 'You'll be recognized easily.'

'I'd have to disagree, Harry', Hermione argued. 'No one who knows Draco very well is going to be there, except us.'

Harry fidgeted as they entered the hall. Draco rolled her eyes and smirked at the frightened look on his face. Hermione and Ron were separated from them almost immediately by one of Hermione's co-workers. His wife just had to meet her since she was all her husband talked about. Ron never left Hermione's side during any function. It didn't take more that a few minutes for Harry to be bombarded as well.

He hated events like those. It was like the dinner with Malfoy only worse, because there was a lot more focus on him. Draco wasn't shy at all and conversed easily with whoever came to greet them. No one failed to complement Draco either on her looks or her attire for the evening. Everyone wanted to know how they met. Draco easily made up a lie about being lost and Harry helping her find her way, while she was shopping for a dress. They even believed her when she claimed not to have known who Harry was until later. The story reminded Harry a little too much of the first time they actually had met. Draco had not known who Harry was. Whether or not Draco was trying to be friendly at the time, he was still a prat. Harry had no reason to feel guilty about that day. He did after hearing how he met Daisy over and over again. He wanted to punch the next person that asked. He didn't, though.

'Harry', Kingsley called out as he went to greet him. 'Who is the lovely lady you have with you. I don't believe I've seen you around.' He took Draco's hand gently and kissed it lightly. Harry said nothing and didn't even remember to smile as he waited for Draco to hex his boss for being to forward. Except she didn't and acted as though people kissed her hand all the time.

'Daisy', Draco responded. 'And I don't get out much. I suffer from over protective parents.'

'Oh, they can be dreadful. Though, I'm sure they know you are in very capable hands.'

'They do, or I'd still be locked in my tower.' Draco winked and him. Harry watched them continue their pointless and fake conversation and waited for the night to be over. Until he noticed how Draco kept inching towards him and Kingsley kept finding reasons to brush up against her.

'I can't believe she expects everyone to believe that. Him with a woman her age? She obviously pays him.' Harry looked up and saw that they were looking across the room at a couple. The woman in question was on the Wizengamot. Did Draco just say that?

'Ah, age doesn't mean anything. You would be surprised how much age makes it better.'

Draco looked surprised for about a second, and before she smiled again, responded, 'I'll have to try that sometime.' Were they flirting? Harry judged by Kingsley slight blush and Draco's evil smirk that they were. He grabbed Draco's arm and pulled her back and away from his boss.

'Excuse us sir.'

'I hate men.' Draco stated after they were out of earshot from Harry's boss, but before Harry had a chance to yell at him. 'Had I said that as myself, he would have fought with me. Instead he flirted with me.' Draco rolled her eyes and walked over to get a drink. Harry followed and decided it was time he had one himself.

'I can't believe you were insulting people.'

'That was not an insult. It was a speculation.'

'It was gossip.' Draco looked down at her dress then back up at Harry, raised her left eyebrow and laughed.

'I'm a girl. It's expected.'

'Hermione', Harry started, but Draco scoffed and rolled her eyes.

'You can't a judge how a woman is supposed to act by Granger.'

'She's a girl.'

'Who's trying to be man.'

'She is not!' Harry looked around to make sure no one heard his outburst and then lowered his voice. 'Like you have any room to talk. You're trying to be a girl.' Draco glared at him but didn't say anything as he brushed passed him.

'Draco, wait.'

'Fuck you.' Draco disappeared, and Harry was soon trapped in an endless conversation with a very important somebody, that he couldn't bother to remember the name of. He just agreed with whatever was said as he scanned the room and hoped to find Draco.

'The girl you brought is rather fit. Is she your cousin or something?' Harry suddenly didn't like this important somebody. He didn't know if it was the reminder, once again, of how attractive Draco was, or the automatic assumption, also again, that Harry wasn't good enough for her and therefore they weren't together.

'She's my fiancé.' Harry glared at the man who, he then realised, was more of a dashing younger man, oppose to the older, bald, obviously married, men, that he was used to being forced into conversations with. 'That reminds me. I should go find her.'

Harry didn't see her anywhere in the ballroom, so he left through the main entrance and started down the first hall he saw. Draco was easy to locate, because she went into the first unlocked room she found. It turned out to be an office. She was sitting in a winged back chair with her face in her hands. Even at the doorway Harry could tell she was crying.

'Have you been in here the entire time?' Harry walked up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. It didn't take Harry very long to get over Draco's comments, and he felt bad about what he had said.

'Fuck off.' Harry came around and kneeled in front of her.

'Are you okay?'

'I said fuck off. I'm fine. I'm not upset.' Harry couldn't stop himself, and he let out a small laugh.

'You're crying.' Harry pointed out. Draco let out a frustrated half growl and half screech, which seemed to only irritate her even more.

'It's this bloody body', she said as she tried to calm down. 'If I was myself I'd be hexing everyone, instead I'm crying because I am angry.' She clenched her hands into fists, and Harry backed a way slightly. 'This is so frustrating. I hate not being able to control this', She continued between sobs, trying to catch her breath.

'So, you're still angry with me?'

'Yes, and every bloody witch and wizard out there.' Harry looked confused.

'After I left you, I did what I always do when I'm mad. I, as you like to call it, insult people. It makes me feel better.' Harry snorted, which made Draco glare at him more. 'I'm not exactly quiet when I'm upset. A few people heard me.'

'What did they say?' Harry expected that Draco was probably verbally attacked, but she probably deserved it for what ever she said.

'They thought I was funny.'

'Then why are you upset?' Harry asked even more confused than before.

'You are so dim.' Draco shook her head at Harry almost sympathetically. 'Everyone hates me. I have to constantly hold my tongue and never say what I want to, because it is always taken the

wrong way. When I'm in a pretty girl's body, I can say whatever I want, even when it is taken the wrong way no one cares, and they still love her.' Harry took her hands and rubbed his thumbs over the back of them in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. 'I hate them, because they are being nice to her. And no one is ever nice to me.'

Harry didn't understand it. Wasn't that why Draco had used the potion in the first place? He knew people would react to her differently than to himself. That was why Draco used the potion to met people when he was younger. Harry hated it when people cried. He wasn't very good at giving comfort. He was never comforted as a child when he needed it, so as he got older he felt awkward when others would try to comfort him.

Harry lifted Draco's chin and pulled her mouth to his. She hesitated at first, but gave in. After a few minutes, they both forgot she had been crying at all.

Harry shoved her up against the bedroom wall as soon as they were in it. He anchored her there with his mouth pressed firmly against hers. Draco pushed back just as forcefully with her mouth, but pulled Harry's body close to her own. Harry pulled up on her dress, as Draco with a quick flick of her wrist made Harry's shirt and trousers disappear. Suddenly they were on the bed, Harry pinning Draco down and kissing her neck. She laughed.

'You can't use magic to take off my clothes, but you use it to move us three feet?'

'I wasn't trying to take off your dress.' Harry ran his hand up her thigh and in between her legs, which caused Draco to jump.

'Wait. Stop!' Harry pulled back and looked up at her face.

'What? Did I hurt you?' Harry asked worried.

'No', Draco looked away. 'I don't want to go that far. Not when I'm like this.'

'Oh.' Harry knew that. They had talked about it before, but he couldn't help that he was disappointed.

'We don't have to stop. Only don't go down there.' Harry groaned and buried his face in the crook in her neck. 'Are you okay? I mean are you in pain?'

'Not yet, but I will be.' Draco smirked and reached to take off Harry's pants.

'I can help you with that.' They kissed slowly as Draco worked on Harry, until finished with a small moan. Then they laid together not saying anything, but enjoying each other's presence. Harry played with Draco's long hair, while Draco ran the tips of his finger around the defined edges of the muscles in Harry's arm. Harry shifted and pushed himself up to look down at Draco and smiled.

'You are so beautiful.' He leaned down and kissed her lips one more time, before he laid back down to go to sleep. Only a few tears escaped Draco's eyes, but he couldn't blame it on the foreign body he was in. He had longed to hear those words from Harry, or at least something similar to those words. He would have preferred a complement that had to do with anything other than his appearance, even in his own body. Yet he would have been satisfied with that shallow of a statement, since he knew that Harry really wasn't shallow. Except Harry wasn't looking at him when he said it. He was looking at the same girl, that everyone liked better than him.


	8. The Gift

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to JK Rowling and I make no money from this.  
Warnings: M/M relationship, eventual mpreg, Draco in female form for a few scenes.  
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Hermione/Ron, Ginny/OMC, Harry/Ginny  
Betas: tavia_d

* * *

Harry smiled.

'What are you happy about?' Ron asked. Harry continued to smile as he responded with a shrug. Ron fell into step beside him in a way that only someone with years of practice could do. He seemed unsatisfied with his friend's answer, even though he said nothing about it, but Harry could read the expression on his face.

'Am I happier than normal?'

'I don't normally see you smile this early in the morning.' Ron was used to Harry's forlorn expression at any time of the day. Most of his life he had little to be happy about, but then, when everything was good, Harry's outlook stayed the same. Everyone else celebrated for the past year and lived with reckless abandon, but Harry treated it like a year of mourning. Ron and Hermione never said anything about it, because he always took loss harder than they did. He had little to begin with, so it hurt more to loose what he had.

Yet, Harry also was easily excited by the world around him. Many times Ron saw the same boy Harry used to be in his first year at Hogwarts when they learnt something new. Therefore, Ron was used to seeing Harry energetic and excited by their first break. But that look was something different. It was the look Harry had when he drank the Felix Felicis potion in their sixth year.

'I suppose, I'm just excited to get to training.'

'Right', Ron agreed disbelievingly. He became suspicious, when Harry skipped lunch to go 'shopping'. When he returned, he was equally as pleased with himself. Harry hated to go shopping. He never liked the attention he got, and he found it difficult to express what he wanted to sales people. He never went shopping alone. Unless, he was buying something he knew no one else would approve of. Something like the engagement ring for Ginny after she had broke it off with him.

'What?' Harry asked once he noticed Ron scrutinizing him.

'You are acting odd', Ron said.

'Really? How is that?' Ron chose to ignore Harry's attempt at pretending to be thick and decided to get straight to the point.

'What did you buy?'

'I just got Draco a gift.' Maybe Harry was thick. Ron raised an eyebrow in question, but Harry ignored it. He was deliberately avoiding Ron's eyes, which meant that he was embarrassed about it. Either he was embarrassed about what he decided to buy, or that he wanted to buy it in the first place. Ron never pictured Harry buying anything that was embarrassing, or, at least, he hoped his friend would never do such a thing. 'It's to thank him for going to the party the other night.'

Ron grimaced as he thought about what Harry might have bought him. It was probably hard to find potions ingredients, if Harry knew enough about that to pick the right ones. Malfoy was probably bleeding difficult to buy for. Ron was tempted to ask what he had bought, but out of fear it was something personal, he kept his mouth shut. Harry continued the facade that there was nothing going on between him and Malfoy. Ron was inclined to believe him, but Hermione called him naive if he really thought they hadn't. She knew about those things, so Ron quit arguing with her and hoped Harry was telling the truth. If Harry had wanted to talk about it, he would have asked Ron's opinion; or told him about it without him asking. Since Harry was secretive about it most of the day, it was most likely something Ron didn't want to know about. He nodded to Harry to show that he understood, even though he did not understand his best mate's behaviour.

Harry's excitement about his gift diminished once he presented it to Draco. Draco seemed startled when Harry handed him the box, but recovered, then opened it with a questioning look on his face. His face held what looked to Harry like a suppressed smirk, which it lost as soon as he saw what the box held. Harry cursed himself for not asking Hermione's opinion before he went looking for something for him. It was a quick decision to buy him something, and he only had an hour to figure out what it would be.

'You hate it', Harry stated. 'I'm horrible at this.' Draco had yet to lift his eyes from the offending gift and offered no response. 'I noticed at the dinner that all the women wore huge necklaces, rings and such.' Harry shifted feet nervously as Draco finally looked at him. 'I realized that you were the only one that didn't have anything like that. I thought you'd appreciate it.'

'It's lovely.' Draco finally said, then placed the lid back on the box and walked around his desk to return to his chair. He was busy writing in something when Harry arrived. Draco was always in his office for a few hours after he returned home.

'I have horrible taste. You don't have to lie. I can tell that you hate it.'

'Harry', Draco said sternly, though he picked up a quill and concentrated on the parchment in front of him. 'I said, it is lovely.'

'But, you don't mean it.' He never saw Draco be polite, but he was used to the same treatment from others. He could tell when someone was only saying something to appease him.

'I do. My mother would love it.'

'I didn't buy it for you mother.'

'I know', Draco sighed, and leaned back in his chair. 'Harry, can we just forget about it.' Harry debated about it, and watched Draco avoid eye contact with him.

'What do you want from me?' Harry asked, for he was lost in what he was supposed to do. Was it not normal for him to buy his significant other gifts? He thought Draco, of all people, would love to be showered with gifts. From shopping with him before, Harry knew that he liked shinny things. After taking one look at their entryway, or living room, anyone would know that.

'What do you mean?' Draco looked up, and Harry saw that Draco was glaring at him.

'I mean that I'm trying here. And you won't tell me what I did wrong.' Harry shifted his feet, but stood his ground.

'I find it hard to understand how you could not know.' Draco grit out as his glare intensified. He gripped his quill tighter, and it caused the tips of his fingers to become paler then the rest of his hand.

'You sound like a girl.' Harry's arms dropped to his sides in exasperation. 'I can't read your mind.' It was true. All the women he knew seemed to believe he constantly used legilimency on them. He was never good at it or he would start. They always made things difficult for him.

'I'm not a bloody girl', Draco growled. 'I thought you understood that.'

'I do.'

'No, you don't.' Draco stood and walked around his desk towards Harry. 'I am a homosexual man. That does not mean that I want to be a girl. I love being a man. I just happen to also want to be with men.'

'I know.' Harry did know that. Draco had said before, that he preferred his male body to the female he transformed into. Harry understood that he did. He thought that since Draco said he would transform whenever they went out, that he would want something for his other body. He had more than enough clothing and accessories.

Draco shook his head at him and gestured towards the box on his desk. 'You obviously don't.' Harry opened his mouth to explain, but Draco cut him off. 'I did that for you. Because you, like the rest of the sodding world, aren't comfortable with people interested in the same sex.' Draco cursed the idea then.

'I'm comfortable with it.' Draco stepped closer to him and smirked at Harry's obvious discomfort. 'Just because you make me nervous doesn't mean I'm not comfortable with your sexuality.'

'Leave it. It's fine.' If it were fine, then Draco would have had no need to say that it was fine.

'Harry, you didn't!' Hermione tried not to smile. She really did, but Ron's expression made it difficult, and it was humorous. Only Harry would attempt to buy Malfoy a gift without consulting him first. It was that way. He did things for people without them asking for it and without thinking it through. He was a generous person.

Harry buried his face in his hands. 'I thought he'd like it', he mumbled into them. Ron shook his head in amusement.

'Why are you trying to make him happy anyway?' Hermione asked. Harry dropped his hands and blankly looked up at his friends. He never thought about why he wanted to buy Malfoy something. He wanted to do something nice for him, and his thoughts never went passed that.

'You like him', Ron accused. Harry was taken aback. First, he expected accusations of that sort to come from Hermione not Ron. Second, Ron still looked amused and not angry. Ron hated Malfoy. He should have been angry that he might like him, not amused. His amusement made Harry angry.

'I never said that.'

'You aren't denying it either', Hermione mused.

'No, I don't like him.' He said as though it made up for not saying earlier.

'Then you want to have sex with him', Hermione said in a way that suggested it was common knowledge.

'What?' Ron jumped. He could handle that Harry liked Malfoy as a friend, but that was pushing it too far. 'Where did you get that idea? Harry is straight. Even if he wasn't, he's not interest in Malfoy.' He turned to Harry, 'Right, mate?' After a beat he repeated, 'Right?'

'Right, of course not, Ron.' Harry agreed with him, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Think about it, Ron. The only times you have ever bought me anything was before we started having sex.' Harry winced and motioned that he had no desire to hear that information, but was ignored. 'Or when we were fighting, and I quit giving it to you.'

'Hey! I'm not Ron. I don't need a reason to buy people things.' Ron gestured that he agreed with him. Harry always bought things for his friends, and he never wanted anything in return. He even gave Ron's brothers the money to start up their shop. Harry buying something for someone meant nothing at all. And Harry never bought anything for Ginny, even though they were dating, so there was no connection between Harry buying gifts and sex.

'Everyone has a reason when they buy a gift for someone', she pointed out. Neither of the boys seemed inclined to agree with her. 'Fine.' Hermione gave up. 'You don't like Malfoy, and you don't want to sleep with him. You only bought him a necklace hoping he would like it and was surprised that he was instead offended by you treating him like a girl, which he is not. Then you ask for my help— and completely ignore me. Since I'm wrong, why did you do it?'

'I wanted to thank him for the other night.'

'For what exactly–– from the other night?'

'For going to the dinner, Hermione. Nothing happened afterwards', but he blushed, and they both could tell he was lying. 'I didn't do anything with him.'

'Who are you trying to convince?' Hermione said.

'Look, he was upset because how everyone treats him differently when his is a girl. I just wanted––' Harry stopped, and held his hand up to stop Hermione from continuing her thoughts on that. He finally understood. 'It's okay Hermione, I get it. I mean. I do now, once I said it like that. I get it.' He still disagreed with Hermione about his intentions when he bought Malfoy the necklace, but he understood why it bothered Malfoy to receive it.

Harry went back home, and Malfoy was no longer in his office. He walked around the house until he found him in their room preparing to bathe. 'I'm sorry that I fought with you.' Malfoy spoke first once he noticed Harry's arrival.

'It's not your fault ––' Harry thought about what he wanted to say when he was looking for Malfoy, but he cut Harry off before he could start.

'No. Stop.' Draco had his head lowered and only looked at the clothes he was gathering to take to the bathroom with him. 'It is my fault. It showed me something that I knew was true, but I refused to admit to myself. You know nothing about me, and you have no desire to. I'm not what you want, and I can't be what you want. I'm a man and that ––'

'This isn't about that.' Harry cut in quickly. He never meant for Malfoy to see the gift that way, but he understood in that particular moment why Malfoy did see it like that. It was hard to explain what he thought when he bought it, since he saw it how everyone else did then. If he admitted that he liked Daisy, like everyone else, and that she was what he was looking for, then he had to admit that he liked Malfoy. They were the same person.

'How can this not be about that?' Malfoy fumed. ' You bought me jewelry: female's jewelry. If it had been for a male, I would have loved it.' Draco was excited about the gift before he opened it. He thought that Potter was coming around.

'I know. I'm an idiot.' Harry pulled at his hair and nibbled his lip. What could he say? He messed up, and Malfoy refused to accept his apology.

'No, I am.' Harry was taken aback. Malfoy never admitted a fault even when it was a blatant one. 'You can leave. You don't have to stay.' Malfoy gave up? Harry could walk away and, by a technicality, win. Harry disliked the idea of winning on a technicality, especially when it came about when he finally decided to 'play by the rules'.

'Malfoy.'

'Go home.' Draco was tired. He had a visit from his mother after Potter left to go wherever he went. He had a long, draining conversation with her about how she was right, and he never should have used the potion to turn into a girl for Potter. How it was obvious that Potter would never be who Draco wanted him to be, and he would never be what Potter wanted.

'I am home', Harry insisted.

'I meant ––'

'I know what you meant. But when we started this, you said that we had to go by the rules, and that I couldn't run at the first sign of trouble. Well, neither can you. So forget about the bet. I am your –– significant other–– what are we supposed to do?' Draco studied Potter's face, and he could tell that he was serious. He thought about his parents and what they did when they fought. Draco asked his mother once

'Sleep on it.'

'Repeat that?'

'My mother said, that when they had problems they went to bed, and then started the next day new. If it was a major problem then they would run into it again, but they would both have clear heads about the situation. If it was a small problem, then it usually disappeared.'

'So, we just ignore it.'

'No. They never ignored it. Even small problems they ended up talking about a few days later. Actually, I think that was her way of saying they had sex and made up. They always had sex when they were fighting. It was weird.' Harry snickered. 'They thought I didn't know. I could tell. They tried to hide that they were fighting, but they had a pattern, and I could read it.'

'Maybe we should try it.' Draco looked up at Harry, surprised.

'You want to have sex?'

'I – no, I– meant the –huh– sleeping on it thing.' Harry blushed and looked down at his feet.

'Oh, right. Okay.'

Harry lied in bed and tried to sleep, but it was impossible. Even though they were both still there, he felt as though nothing was settled. They lied without touching, and it felt odd to him. Harry noticed how much they must have touched before, once he thought that psychical contact might not be welcome. Harry finally reached out and lightly touched Malfoy's arm. Malfoy jumped, but was quiet.

'Do you want to cuddle?' Harry whispered. Malfoy remained quiet, as he thought about it.

'Only if I get to hold you.' Harry nodded and stayed on his side, while Malfoy rolled to his back.

The next morning, during breakfast, they sat through their usual routine. Malfoy was showered and dressed, when Harry joined him. He ate while Malfoy read, and they were quiet, but it was comfortable. Harry's thoughts wondered as he pondered how their fight might come up again. It seemed as though they would ignore it completely. He remembered what Hermione had said the previous day, and he decided that he should try and get to know Malfoy better.

'What do you do?' Harry asked suddenly. Malfoy's brow creased as he looked up from The Daily Prophet.

'What do you mean?'

'For work?' Harry noticed that Malfoy worked a lot. He always left before Harry did and worked in his study for hours when he was at home.

'Oh.' Malfoy sat back gazed across the table taken off guard by the question. 'I thought you knew.' Harry shook his head sheepishly, and then Malfoy nodded before he responded.

'I'm training to be a Healer.'

'Really?' Harry found that interesting. He thought that was a profession he would enjoy, if it's requirements weren't so bloody high. 'I thought you had to be sma––' Harry caught himself, because he knew that Malfoy was smart, even if he never thought of him as that before. 'I never pictured you as ––', Harry laughed at himself, because he knew that Malfoy would take that wrong as well, and it was difficult for him to find something to say. 'I can't ––'

'Think of anything to say that wouldn't be insulting?' Draco finished for him. 'It's alright. I still haven't come up with anything to say about what you've chosen as a career, that wouldn't be insulting. And I've known about it since before you signed up.' Draco sipped his tea as he watched Potter's face scowl back at him, then continued, 'Except it is exactly what I pictured you doing. I'll leave it at that.'

'Do you bite your tongue around me a lot now?'

'No', Malfoy smirked. 'I think things through more.'

'Would you do that with ––' but Malfoy interrupted him before he could finish.

'Yes.'

'You didn't even ––'

'I don't have to think about it', Draco said. He always thought about what he said when he talked with any of his friends or family. People that he dealt with everyday and wanted to continue to have the privilege of their company, demanded it. He never told Pansy he was bent, even if it was obvious to him that she harbored feelings for him. He helped Crabbe and Goyle with their school assignments without being asked and required no payment of any type for him. As thick as they were, he made sure that he kept his thoughts on their intelligence to himself. He honored his parents, even when he disagreed with them. 'It is what I do, what I have always done, with the people I care about everyday.'


	9. The First Christmas

Beta: tavia_d

* * *

Harry smiled when he saw the familiar outline of Ginny's profile next to her mother in the kitchen. No one was positive she would make it, because she never wrote anymore. Too busy, she said. But he heard her tell her mother that the players were on break for a couple of weeks, starting with the Monday before Christmas. He took a timid step into the kitchen with the plan of surprising her with a hug before she turned around.

Someone brushed passed him and did what he planned to do before he had the chance. Harry lost his ability to breathe. The man from The Daily Prophet articles stood in the Weasley's kitchen with his arms around Ginny, who smiled at him. Who brings a fling home for Christmas?

'Harry!' Ron appeared behind him.

Turning around, Harry hugged him and forced himself to breathe. 'Where's Hermione?'

'Upstairs.' He nodded in the general direction. 'My room.'

He gave the stairs a look of longing.

Ron laughed. 'You can go talk to her, if you want.'

Forcing a smile, he nodded and went up the stairs.

'You've met Mark,' Hermione said once Harry had entered the room, and she looked at the expression on his face.

'I saw him.'

Hermione nodded. 'It's the same thing.'

Ron followed Harry into the room and shut the door. 'I can't believe she brought him here.'

She furrowed her eyebrows. 'Not bring her boyfriend home for Christmas?'

Harry's head shot up at the word "boyfriend", and Ron glared at her.

Crossing her arms, she continued, 'They've been together for months. It's customary to introduce your significant other to your family.' She shook her head and turned away from them. 'It would've been odd had he not been here after all the articles.' She paused. 'And more uncomfortable for everyone involved.'

Ron turned red. 'This is uncomfort––'

'For Harry!' Hermione spun back around. 'It would've been more uncomfortable for everyone else not knowing what to say or how to act, and worse for her having to explain their relationship without him here with her.' She gave Harry a sympathetic smile, before she turned towards Ron. 'Why should she have to be the one to be uncomfortable in her own house just to make Harry feel better?'

'Because she's the one… cause… well, cause––'

She walked and stood next to Harry. 'This isn't your fault, so quit beating yourself up about it.' She took his hands and squeezed them in a reassuring gesture.

Harry shook his head. 'She's with someone else.'

'And it would have happened whether or not you agreed to that bet.' She sighed and let his hands fall. 'This is why she broke up with you,' she said as gently as she could.

'It wasn't.' Harry took a deep breath. 'She wasn't supposed to bring them home.'

Hermione closed her eyes, inhaled, opened them and forced a firm tone. 'Harry, this would have happened anyway.'

* * *

Draco waited until half past eight for Potter to come home before he headed to Malfoy Manor. His jaw hurt from clenching it on and off for the past three hours. They went through that before. How could Potter abandon him on Christmas? His anger at himself trumped his anger at Potter. How could he have been so foolish as to believe that he would follow through? They should have discussed it. He should have made a point to discuss it.

He Flooed in to the living room and saw the customary decorations of green, silver, crystal and blue scattered throughout it. The room smelled of vanilla and coffee, and in an instant, he felt at peace. He was home. It shocked him to realised he had missed it. There was a rustle next to the tree and a pale silhouette emerged from behind the plethora of packages.

Relief flooded through him that Harry failed to show and was not standing next to him as the young blonde ghost glided to him.

'Draco!' She smiled and bounced before him. 'You're home! Mum, he's home!'

He was going kill his mother.

'Ara,' Draco nodded. 'Happy Christmas.'

'Happy Christmas,' she beamed. Ara loved Christmas. Most of the year she was sullen, but at Christmas everything excited her. 'Where is he?' Ara looked around, then floated behind him.

Draco shook his head declaring Harry's absence.

Ara's face fell, and Narcissa entered. 'Indeed, where is he?'

'Mother.' He took her hand and kissed it.

'Draco,' she said with a stern tone.

'I don't know.' He stepped back and walked to the table that held the coffee set out for them. 'I don't want to talk about it, and don't say––'

Narcissa lifted her hand to stop him.

He glanced at his sister playing by the tree and gave his mother a stern look.

'She wanted to meet him,' she said near a whisper.

While preparing them both cups of coffee, he pitched his voice lower. 'We talked about this.'

'I agreed that it would be inappropriate when we had guests, but Harry is family.'

Draco rolled his eyes. Some family he turned out to be. Couldn't even bother to come home on Christmas.

'He should meet your family.'

'And how am I supposed to explain––' No. Ara was easy to explain. It was the rest of them that made it difficult. The amount of colourful coordinated gifts under the tree surpassed what would have been acceptable for the three people the evening was planned for. Four counting Ara. Even for the richest of families, it was extravagant, and Harry would notice.

There was enough for seven more children that never were, and his father who wouldn't be with them for a few more years, if everything went well. He quit telling himself that things would go well years ago. It always ended in disappointment.

'You both should have visited ages ago.'

There was nothing he could say to that, and a sharp cry tore through the house, which saved him from having to.

* * *

Harry watched more than participated the rest of the evening. Never had he felt like such an outsider before. Ron and Hermione stayed beside him all evening, but it felt different. As though they had to instead of wanted to. Every time he saw Mark touch Ginny, he winced. The worst part was that he wondered if Mark touched her on purpose to get to him, or if they both held back out of respect for her family's presence with him unnoticed. He suspected the later.

It made him sick.

'Ginny,' Mark said and pulled her to the middle of the room. 'This went better than I expected.'

She laughed. 'What did you expect?'

'Your first time away from your family, and you have six older brothers… What did you think I expected?' He laughed. 'The way you talked about them, I thought I'd, at least, eat something that made me sick or get stuck to a chair.'

Laughing, she shook her head at him. Her long red hair was cut short, and Harry missed how it used to flow with her every movement. Harry rolled his eyes at their conversation. No one noticed.

Mark brought her hand to his lips and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Everyone's attention was on the two, even though they never voiced that it was desired.

'What's this?' Ginny asked.

Harry stopped breathing, and the room went quiet around them.

She untied the gold ribbon and opened the small black box with a grin. Harry clenched the glass in his hand. It was the gaudy gold ring that he considered on the day he made the bet at the jewellery store.

'We've talked a lot about the future,' Mark said.

They talked about the future? Harry's blood boiled. Ginny always avoided talking about the future.

'I know what you expect and what I can never expect from you.'

Ginny laughed and tilted her head sideways brushing her cheek against her shoulder like she always did when she was nervous.

'But I love you despite it all. These last few months have been the best of my life, and I don't want to change any of it, or you.' He knelt in front of her. 'Will you marry me?'

She leant down and kissed him hard and then pulled back to answer. 'Of course, I will. You know I will.'

Harry's glass, along with three others, shattered.

'Oh, Harry.' Hermione pulled out her wand. In a flick, all the glass and liquid disappeared.

Looking up to see everyone's eyes on him, he muttered the same excuse he heard Dudley's aunt use the last time he caused that to happen. Hermione suggested they go refill the missing drinks, and he thanked God for her while she ushered him into the kitchen.

'Harry, breathe.'

Obeying her command, he leant against the counter and attempted to calm himself. She said yes. But she told him they were too young to get married. He kept his eyes on the group in the living room, waiting for Ginny to break from them and come into the kitchen. To explain herself, or to plead for his forgiveness. There were four glasses hovering in front of him before he knew it. One of them nudged his hand until he took it.

'Are you going to take them?'

He shook his head. There was no way he could go back out there. It was embarrassing.

'Fine. Sulk.' She directed the glasses back to the living room. 'Once you've calmed down, you should join us.'

After pacing for twenty minutes, he took a deep breath and snuck into the back of the living room. Ron came to join him, and Hermione smiled at them from across the room. He felt everyone, except Ginny, glance in his direction at one point or another while he situated himself in the corner chair.

'Mark,' Hermione said loud enough to gather most everyone's attention, even though she stood two feet away from him. 'I know what you meant when you said you knew what Ginny expected of you, but I'm curious…' She lowered her voice to a regular tone. 'What is she unwilling to do?'

Her manner confused Harry, because he never saw her to be obvious about her intentions. He also had no desire to hear Mark's answer to that question, because he was sure, it had something to do with sex. Since Ginny and he never got that far in their relationship, the last thing he wanted to hear was how quickly she jumped at the chance with someone else.

'Oh?' Mark laughed. 'That… uhm.' He looked at Ginny who rolled her eyes. 'She doesn't want children, and I'm fine with that.'

'What?' Ginny closed her eyes and groaned at the shrill sound of her mother's voice. When she opened them, she smiled at Mark and then turned to glare at Hermione, who smirked.

Hermione smirked at Ginny?

Wait, Ginny didn't want to have children?

He looked to Ron for an explanation, but he only shrugged and shook his head. Figures, Ron was just as lost as he was.

Molly was next to Ginny, hands on her hips within seconds, and Hermione appeared in between him and Ron to watch the argument across the room. Hermione squeezed Harry's elbow and whispered, 'You're welcome,' in his ear.

'Huh?' Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. 'She didn't want to tell you, because she knew you wanted a family,' she said to Harry.

Harry's stomach turned. They could have talked about it or worked out a compromise. Maybe, waited until they were older and she finished with Quidditch. How did she know she would never want children? Though he wanted children, and he wanted them as soon as possible, he knew he had to wait until he was out of training. Even if his parents were his age at the time they had him, as he told Ginny.

'Where's Draco?' Hermione asked.

The question caught him off guard. 'What? Oh, um… at home?'

'Shouldn't you be with your husband on Christmas? Or him with you?'

Harry shrugged. 'We didn't talk about it.'

Sighing, she rolled her eyes.

'What?'

'What did you get him for Christmas?"

'Not jewellery.'

'Thank, God.' Hermione laughed. 'Whatever it is, I hope it's good, because you are going to need it when you get home.'

* * *

Draco's mother told him when he was young that "no matter how bad things are, never let anyone know your life is less than perfect". Though they never talked about it in public, and no one outside the family knew, Narcissa refused to accept that her children were dead. Draco admitted to himself that their ghosts made it difficult to think of them as dead, but Christmas reminded him of it more than most days.

Lyra's crying woke up Carina, so all the ghosts sat in the living room instead of just the oldest. Ara and Carina picked the presents to be opened next and Draco, being the only "child" that could touch them, opened them all while Lyra giggled at the lights and crawled through everything she tried to touch. It was how they did Christmas his whole life, but he never intended to share that with Harry. He should have known his mother would disagree and find a way to force him into it.

'Oh,' said Ara. 'This one next.' She pointed to a blue and silver package marked for Orion. He was one of the miscarriages. Since he was two years older than Draco, they often received similar gifts. Orion's were blue and Draco's would match in green. It was a silk shirt in Ravenclaw blue. That always reminded him of the Weasley's sweaters, except no one ever knew that the blue versions of his clothes existed outside of his family.

Narcissa picked the houses for her children, and Draco often wondered how correct her guesses were. He knew he belonged in Slytherin long before he went to Hogwarts, but his mother fancied the idea that not all their children were Slytherins. None were Gryffindor.

'It's beautiful,' Ara said in awe.

Carina pointed her translucent hand to a huge box near the back. Everyone looked, and Ara giggled.

'Yes! That one next Draco.'

Draco levitated the box to sit in the middle of the room.

'Who's it for?'

Smirking, Draco read the names. 'It's for you, Ara, to share with Carina and Lyra.'

Nodding, she smiled instead of giggling and bouncing as she had for all the other gifts. Draco's face fell. She never got excited about her own gifts like she did for the others. He flicked his wrist, and the paper fell off. With another flick the box opened, and the content danced out.

'It's a train!' Narcissa waved her arm in a long graceful gesture, and the pieces put themselves together in the air. The train hooked itself up and then drove over the track as it hooked itself together to make way for the train. It circled around the tree and up and down all around the room.

'It forms itself to wrap around what ever room you put it in,' their mother said. 'Or it could be charmed to go between room. Even outside.'

'It's lovely,' Ara said, her tone soft and vacant. 'Isn't it?' she directed the question at Carina who nodded, but kept her eyes on the train flying above their heads. Everything their mother bought for them moved on its own for obvious reasons. The movement could keep Lyra and Carina entertained for hours. 'It's lovely.'


End file.
